One of the more obscure stories coming out of the 2025 NFL Draft was the fact that multiple prospects received prank calls from people pretending to be part of NFL teams. The most publicized player to receive a prank call was Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, but he is seemingly far from the only one.
Tight end Tyler Warren, defensive lineman Mason Graham, and quarterback Kyle McCord are among the players who have come out and stated they also received prank calls during the NFL Draft from the number the NFL provided them.
It is unclear at this time whether this is all connected to one person prank-calling the prospects or if multiple people were involved.
Abdul Carter Gets Prank Called First
Abdul Carter was the first player to get prank-called, as someone pretending to be the Jacksonville Jaguars called his phone and said that the team was selecting him No. 2 overall after trading up with the Cleveland Browns.
Fortunately, Carter and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, immediately recognized that it was a prank and didn’t believe it.
“It’s unfortunate that these private numbers are getting to the people making the prank calls,” Carter’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said. “Abdul and I knew it was BS and didn’t even tell his family about the call.”
He wouldn’t be the last player to get a prank call during the 2025 NFL Draft, though.
Mason Graham Discusses NFL Draft Prank Call
Someone also prank-called Graham during the draft. His father, Allen Graham, discussed what happened in a text to the Detroit Free Press.
“Yeah – that happened. Someone made a TikTok while crack (sic) calling him & showed his number on the video … his phone was getting called nonstop.”
In a now-deleted video on social media, a prank caller revealed Graham’s phone number while calling him.
Graham would get the last laugh, though, when he did not have to wait much longer as he was selected with the fifth pick in the draft by the Browns.
Shedeur Sanders’ Prank Caller Revealed During NFL Draft
Sanders saw his draft stock continue to fall after being mocked as high as No. 2 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. Shockingly, however, he would plummet all the way to the fifth round and be selected by the Cleveland Browns at No. 144 overall.
Well before that, though — on Night 1 of the draft — Sanders received a phone call while the New Orleans Saints were on the clock. The caller pretended to be the team’s general manager, Mickey Loomis.
However, it turned out to be a prank. In a video that was posted on social media and has since been deleted, two individuals were shown calling Sanders and saying the Saints were going to draft him before hanging up moments later.
It was later revealed exactly who was behind the prank call, and it was someone not associated with the team. Jax Ulbrich, the 21-year-old son of new Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, was identified as the person who initiated the prank call.
In a statement the team released, the Falcons said they have been in contact with the NFL regarding the matter and that the Atlanta DC was unaware of the situation happening or of any aspects of the prank until after the fact.
Soon after, Jax posted an apology on his Instagram account, which can be seen below.
View this post on Instagram
As of now, it appears the Falcons will not face any punishment as a result of this situation. Yet, with the public backlash following the incident, it will be interesting to see if the league reconsiders its stance.
Several have voiced their outrage over the prank call to Sanders, including WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes, indicating that some form of consequence should occur.
More NFL Draft Prospects Add to Growing List
While Sanders’ prank call was the most high-profile of the bunch, other draftees fell victim too. As shared by Grant Paulsen of “106.7 The Fan,” former Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr. was also targeted by a prank-caller.
“I got one prank call. It was somebody in Colorado acting like they were the Broncos.. Mine wasn’t as bad and as cruel as some of the other ones,” he shared.
Josh Conerly just told us on #GrantAndDanny he also got a prank call on draft night:
"I got one prank call. It was somebody in Colorado acting like they were the Broncos.. Mine wasn't as bad and as cruel as some of the other ones."
— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) April 29, 2025
Warren was also targeted, according to Jordan Schultz of Fox Sports. “I’m told Warren’s camp believes it was the same number and/or area code involved in the Shedeur Sanders prank on Friday night,” reported Schultz.
However, according to the Associated Press, it is believed that Ulbrich’s son was only responsible for the prank call on Sanders, and the rising epidemic of NFL Draft prank calls was from another, or multiple, parties.
The former Syracuse star and current Philadelphia Eagles QB, McCord, said he had also received similar calls on draft night. Joining him on the list are Chase Lundt and Isaiah Bond, the latter of whom went undrafted and was targeted by a fake call pretending to be from Atlanta.