All offseason, the debate about where Shedeur Sanders should be drafted raged among fans and analysts. This wasn’t a debate that encompassed a few spots, but rather whole rounds.
Some fully believed that Sanders was the most talented quarterback in the draft. Yet others placed Sanders in the second or third round, but no one predicted he would slide to the fifth round.
This caused outrage on social media as fans hotly argued about what was happening. However, the fiercest defender of all was none other than one of the founding fathers of the mock draft, Mel Kiper Jr.
Mel Kiper Jr. Responds to Those Who Think He Went Too Far
Kiper was incensed that Sanders was dropping, and he made no secret of it. On the ESPN broadcast of the draft, Kiper came out of the gates defending Sanders. As Sanders began to drop, it was all he could talk about.
Fans complained as Kiper kept the broadcast focused on Sanders not being picked, which caused numerous other players to lose their moment in the sun.
Viewers were calling for Kiper to be fired. “One of the most embarrassing displays of draft coverage you can imagine,” wrote one of Kiper’s critics.
Now, Kiper is responding after being asked about it by Adam Schefter and Field Yates on ESPN.
“I didn’t even know about it,” explained Kiper when asked about the criticism by Schefter. “I was told, ‘Mel, you’re trending on Twitter!’ I don’t know what they said, but I gotta believe it wasn’t nice. I didn’t read one of them. But I was told I was trending over Shedeur Sanders.”
Kiper used to be considered the foremost authority on the modern mock draft, but in recent years, his popularity has declined as younger analysts have taken over. In addition, video footage and data on players are more readily available to the average fan than it was when Kiper first started in the 1980s.
Mel Kiper, baffled by the Shedeur Sanders’ slide, was trending for his thoughts on the situation.
Breaking down this draft’s winners and losers with @MelKiperESPN and @FieldYates:
🎧 https://t.co/PLSoWetikh pic.twitter.com/COi32L653w
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
Still passionate about the way Sanders slid, Kiper added, “Maybe he will go in the UFL or the CFL, maybe he’ll be Kurt Warner. Go to the UFL or the CFL, maybe Shedeur will do that to prove to the guys in the NFL that he can play.”
Sanders Won’t Have An Easy Road To Starting
The Browns also selected another quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, from Oregon, in the third round. Their general manager indicated after the draft that they hadn’t intended to choose two quarterbacks, but felt that Sanders was such a good deal in the fifth round, they couldn’t pass him up.
They added him to an already interesting quarterback room. They still have Deshaun Watson, who’s been like a bad penny in Cleveland. He’s cost them a fortune and has brought nothing but bad luck. It’s doubtful that he will start. In addition, they signed Joe Flacco and traded for Kenny Pickett.
Many analysts feel that Flacco will likely win the starting job with Pickett as his veteran backup. This leaves Sanders competing with Gabriel for the third-string spot.
Sanders’ attitude has come under fire this offseason. While it might not be ideal, the situation in Cleveland gives them a chance to assess his perseverance.