Shedeur Sanders falling to the fifth round (pick No. 144 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft was the biggest storyline of draft weekend. Mel Kiper Jr’s reaction to Sanders’ fall was the second biggest storyline of the weekend.
Rather than concentrating on the players being selected, the long-time ESPN draft analyst spent most of his airtime criticizing how “disgusting” it was that Sanders was still available. His antics did not go unnoticed, especially by those close to No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.
Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal recently criticized Kiper for not reaching out to ask about his former quarterback. “I never heard from him. I don’t think I ever talked to him,” Cristobal said this week at the ACC spring meetings.
Cristobal mentioned that he talked to “a million people, except one” about Ward, clearly directing a shot at the ESPN draft analyst. He said he “can’t recall many NFL teams or TV people I didn’t speak to.”
ESPN Draft Analyst Mel Kiper Jr. Fires Back at Miami HC Mario Cristobal
Never one to shy away from a debate, Kiper clapped back at Cristobal on Wednesday afternoon on X, making a point to highlight his pre-draft ranking of Ward.
Kiper wrote, “Mario Cristobal claims he spoke to a million people about Cam Ward, yet the one he didn’t speak to, being me, had Ward ranked higher (6th on my Big Board) than any of the other draft experts.”
Mario Cristobal claims he spoke to a million people about Cam Ward, yet the one he didn’t speak to, being me, had Ward ranked higher (6th on my Big Board) than any of the other draft experts. Interesting isn’t it. And oh by the way, I didn’t speak to Deion about Shedeur either. I… https://t.co/bCfZbqBenV
— Mel Kiper Jr. (@MelKiperESPN)
He continued, “Interesting, isn’t it. And oh, by the way, I didn’t speak to Deion about Shedeur either. I need another Orange Crush after this nonsense.”
Kiper Had Shedeur Sanders Ranked Higher Than No. 1 Overall Pick Cam Ward
Kiper raises an interesting point. While he did rank Ward higher than most NFL Draft analysts, he placed him one spot below Sanders. It’s hard to predict how things will unfold, but that ranking seems somewhat absurd considering their draft capital.
Ward was selected with the first overall pick by the Tennessee Titans and will be entrenched as their franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future. While there might be some inconsistency early in his career, the former Miami quarterback has the potential to make an immediate impact and change the team’s culture as early as his rookie year.
Meanwhile, Sanders was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the No. 144 overall pick and will compete with fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel (No. 94 overall selection), veteran Joe Flacco, and journeyman Kenny Pickett for playing time this season. Now, that’s disgusting.