ESPN’s longtime draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. is pushing back after being called out for his heavy focus on Shedeur Sanders during the 2025 NFL Draft broadcast. Critics felt Kiper gave too much attention to Sanders’ fall to the fifth round—especially at the expense of Cam Ward, the quarterback taken No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans.
One of the louder voices came from Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, who coached Ward in college. Speaking at the ACC spring meetings, Cristobal said he never once heard from Kiper during the pre-draft process and subtly jabbed the analyst for prioritizing Sanders coverage. “Never heard from him,” Cristobal said. “I don’t think I’ve ever talked to him.”
Kiper clapped back on X, saying Cristobal may not have spoken to him, but he still ranked Ward higher than anyone else—sixth on his Big Board. “Interesting, isn’t it?” Kiper wrote. “And, oh, by the way, I didn’t speak to Deion [Sanders] about Shedeur either. I need another Orange Crush after this nonsense.”
Kiper also stirred controversy on draft night for questioning why teams passed over Sanders, including the Giants, who traded up for Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart. Kiper compared Sanders’ slide to those of Dan Marino, Joe Montana, and Geno Smith, calling it a possible blessing in disguise.
Others, like NFL analyst Warren Sharp, were frustrated by how much airtime Kiper gave to Sanders. Sharp posted a nine-minute clip of Kiper’s comments, saying the focus took away from celebrating the accomplishments of all first-round picks.
Despite the noise, Kiper is standing his ground—clearly unfazed by what he’s calling “nonsense.”
Mel Kiper Fires Back After Backlash Over Shedeur Sanders Coverage During NFL Draft
