Latest news with #MelKiper
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mel Kiper Jr. Reveals His Honest Opinion on Browns' Controversial Draft Class
Mel Kiper Jr. Reveals His Honest Opinion on Browns' Controversial Draft Class originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Hours before the draft and in the weeks that have followed, the Cleveland Browns have captured quite a bit of the NFL Draft conversation. They made the biggest move around the draft board and came away with the class' most polarizing prospect, following a stunning three day wait. Advertisement Overall, the Browns certainly checked the boxes in terms of their pre-draft needs. Cleveland traded back from No. 2 overall, securing significant draft capital from the Jacksonville Jaguars while still landing a top-10 prospect in Mason Graham. They needed a quarterback and instead came away with two, drafting both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. That bold strategy generated the most buzz, especially being the team that ended Sanders' slide into the fifth round. However, that was one of the driving forces behind Mel Kiper Jr.'s decision to give their draft haul an A+. Before analyzing that grade, let's add some necessary context. Kiper spent almost the entirety of ESPN's on-air draft coverage yelling at the sun for answers as to why teams seemingly had no interest in Sanders, his No. 5 overall prospect. The Browns drafted two quarterbacks, but Sanders was the second after they took Dillon Gabriel in Round 3. Advertisement Now the motives behind having five quarterbacks on the depth chart are certainly questionable, but that is a separate conversation that takes away from the validity of this grade. So how accurate is this A+ from ESPN's draft guru? Stepping back from the quarterbacks, Cleveland's ability to land a future first just by moving three spots back turned into an excellent play. Graham will impact the Browns' defensive interior immediately next to Myles Garrett. Then in two separate rounds the Browns nailed down contingency plans for key starters both offensively and defensively. Starting on the defensive side, they used pick No. 33 to grab UCLA linebacker Carsons Schwesinger. Given Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah's uncertainty this season with a neck injury, the rookie may be thrown into the fire early on. Offensively, the Browns added Harold Fannin Jr., a standout tight end who could develop into a player capable of holding down the No. 1 spot on the depth chart given his outstanding production at Bowling Green. With David Njoku set to hit free agency next offseason, they now have a complement for a season and a potential replacement. Advertisement Cleveland also did a fine job identifying some backfield pieces in Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson who both stood out at their respective programs. Behind Jerome Ford, there is a real competition for reps in this offense. Altogether, those makeup a really solid class. But the decision to double dip on quarterbacks still seems unnecessary. Sure Sanders and Gabriel will compete for their share, but more likely than not the veterans on roster, especially Joe Flacco, will outclass them through training camp and into the season. One of those picks could have been used elsewhere, namely at wide receiver where they came away from the draft with nothing. In totality, that one gripe does not define this group and without a letter grade, the Browns clearly had one of the best weekends of the 32 teams in the league. But an A+ might be a bit of selfish wish casting on the part of Kiper Jr. Advertisement Related: Browns Among Favorites for 2026's Biggest Name Under Center Related: Flacco Talks Retirement As Shedeur Joins Browns This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Deion Sanders Sends Clear Message to Mel Kiper Jr. After NFL Draft Controversy
The NFL draft is now firmly in the rearview mirror, and while both quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward have found homes for the foreseeable future, some drama surfaced this week involving ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. It started when Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal claimed he had spoken to 'a million people' about Ward during the pre-draft process—except, notably, not Kiper. Advertisement Kiper, a vocal supporter of Sanders throughout the draft, expressed his frustration live on-air as Shedeur continued to slide down the board. For nearly four rounds, Sanders remained the No. 1 overall player on Kiper's big board. Responding to Cristobal's comments on Wednesday, Kiper fired back on social media: 'Mario Cristobal claims he spoke to a million people about Cam Ward, yet the one he didn't speak to—me—had Ward ranked higher (6th on my Big Board) than any other draft expert,' Kiper posted. '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.' By Thursday, Colorado Buffaloes head coach—and Shedeur's father—Deion Sanders had responded. Sanders retweeted Kiper's post with a message of appreciation and clarity: 'But I love you, my man! You stood on the desk with great balance, 10 toes down, and said what you doggone said & didn't flinch. You knew what time it was, my man, and we're blessed to be right where God wanted us to be—with OPPORTUNITY. They forgot I was in the TV/entertainment business for 20 years before coaching.' Mel Kiper Jr. has been covering the NFL draft for decades, and he's no stranger to criticism. Known for his bold takes and firm opinions, Kiper rarely flinches in the face of backlash—and this year was no different. Advertisement Throughout the 2025 draft, Kiper remained one of Shedeur Sanders' most vocal supporters, especially as the Colorado quarterback unexpectedly slid down the board. His continued defense of Sanders became a viral storyline after Shedeur went unselected through Day 1 and Day 2. Colorado Buffaloes HC Deion SandersCU Buffs While Cam Ward was selected No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans, Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns finally picked him at No. 144—an outcome that shocked many, including Kiper, who had consistently projected Sanders as a clear first-round talent. Related: Mel Kiper Called Out for Shedeur Sanders Commentary
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Real reason why Steelers refused to draft Shedeur Sanders revealed
The 2025 NFL Draft is firmly in the rearview mirror, but the conversation is still focused on Shedeur Sanders' fall to the Cleveland Browns. ESPN analyst Ryan Clark brought up why the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't take a chance on the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback this week on First Take. The former NFL standout knew there was no way Sanders was incorporated in the plans for Mike Tomlin and his staff. Advertisement "Here's what I can tell you about this draft," Clark said. "If he would've fallen to the 7th round, the Steelers weren't drafting Shedeur Sanders. Whatever the evaluation was, whatever decision was made, he was not going to be the quarterback picked, drafted or called by Mike Tomlin." Sources say Sanders' interview with the Steelers was a deciding factor for team officials. He was added late for an in-person meeting two weeks before the draft. Related: Five-star recruit sends clear message to Deion Sanders after Colorado visit Despite getting passed on and eventually going No. 144 overall, Mel Kiper Jr. had Sanders at the top of his big board ahead of top pick Cam Ward. Many in the NFL community have been critical of Kiper and his defense of Sanders. Especially after Shedeur took a slide and all of the teams in the league passed on him. However, Kiper is no stranger to the backlash for his opinions. Advertisement Related: Snoop Dogg sends blunt message about Shedeur Sanders' draft slide For now, Sanders will look to make an impact in Cleveland. He was noted as the most accurate passer in the recent minicamp. Hopefully, the same momentum will carry over for 'Grown' in OTAs.
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Deion Sanders thanks Mel Kiper for NFL Draft analysis of Shedeur: ‘You stood on the desk with great balance'
The 2025 NFL Draft wrapped three weeks ago, but Shedeur Sanders' shocking slide to the fifth round — and the way experts reacted to his selection — is still drumming up controversy. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper, who was among Sanders' most vocal advocates and openly expressed his surprise at the QB's ongoing availability throughout the draft broadcast, took to X on Wednesday to reply to a quote from University of Miami coach Mario Cristobal in which he said he 'never heard from' Kiper about former Hurricanes QB and No. 1 pick Cam Ward. In response, Kiper said he 'had Ward ranked higher … than any of the other draft experts' and added that he didn't speak to Deion Sanders about Shedeur either. Deion, who coached his son Shedeur at Jackson State and Colorado, responded to Kiper's post with gratitude for supporting Shedeur. 'But I Love u my man! You stood on the desk with great balance 10 toes down and said what u doggone said & didn't flinch. You knew what time it was my man & we're blessed to be right where God wanted us to be,' Sanders wrote. But I Love u my man! You stood on the desk with great balance 10 toes down and said what u doggone said & didn't flinch. You knew what time it was my man & we're blessed to be right where God wanted us to be. 'With OPPORTUNITY' they forgot I was in the tv/entertainment business… — COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) May 15, 2025 Entering the draft, Kiper ranked Sanders No. 5 on his big board (one spot ahead of Ward). Before the Cleveland Browns selected Sanders at No. 144, Kiper said it was 'disgusting' the former Colorado quarterback hadn't been selected in the first three rounds. After Sanders got picked, Kiper seemingly took aim at NFL scouts. 'The NFL has been clueless for 50 years when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks,' Kiper said. 'Clueless. No idea what they're doing in terms of evaluating quarterbacks.' Five quarterbacks were drafted before Sanders: Ward to the Titans, Jaxson Dart to the New York Giants at No. 25, Tyler Shough to the New Orleans Saints at No. 40, Jalen Milroe to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 92 and Dillon Gabriel to the Browns at No. 94. Since landing in Cleveland, Sanders has said he's put the draft behind him. Advertisement 'My job here isn't to prove people wrong,' Sanders said in his first media availability at the Browns' rookie minicamp last week. 'It's to prove myself right.' The 23-year-old added that his story would be similar to seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady's. Brady was drafted in the sixth round at No. 199. 'I was a late-round draft pick, but we're here now, so none of that stuff matters,' Sanders said. 'That just mattered on that day, and I'm just excited to be here and ready to work.'
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Football fan alleges discrimination, collusion in NFL draft against Shedeur Sanders: Lawsuit
A football fan is suing the NFL for $100 million, claiming the league worked together to prevent quarterback Shedeur Sanders from being picked early in this year's draft, according to court documents obtained by ABC News. The lawsuit was filed last week in Atlanta by someone identified only as "John Doe," who says he's a big fan of Sanders from his time playing college football at Colorado. Sanders was widely expected to be one of the first players chosen in the 2025 NFL draft. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper ranked him as the second best quarterback available and predicted he would be picked in the top five. Sanders' completion percentage for the 2024 college football season was 74%. He completed 353 of 477 passes, which led college football and helped the Colorado Buffaloes to their first nine-win season since 2014. However, Sanders wasn't picked until the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns. The Browns passed on Sanders six different times and even chose another quarterback, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, in the third round. Kiper had ranked Gabriel as only the eighth-best quarterback in the draft. MORE: NFL fines Atlanta Falcons, Jeff Ulbrich following Shedeur Sanders prank call investigation Sanders' unexpected drop became the biggest story of draft weekend. The drama led to record TV ratings for the draft's final day, while the average of 7.5 million viewers per day made it the second-most watched draft ever, according to ESPN. "The NFL's actions and the spread of harmful statements about Sanders have caused me severe emotional distress and trauma," the fan claims in the lawsuit. According to court documents, Doe lives in Georgia and is a "dedicated fan of Colorado football" who attended the Colorado vs. TCU football game in 2023. That was the debut of Sanders after he transferred from Jackson State University. The Buffaloes won 45-42, with Sanders throwing for 510 yards and four touchdowns. The lawsuit claims that reports about Sanders' interviews with NFL teams "unfairly hurt his reputation and chances as a player." The lawsuit accuses the NFL of breaking three different laws. First, it claims NFL teams worked together to push Sanders to a later round, which would violate the Sherman Antitrust Act. The suit also suggests racial discrimination might have played a role in Sanders' draft position, which would violate the Civil Rights Act. Finally, it claims the NFL misled fans about how the draft process works and how players are evaluated, which would violate consumer protection laws. The case was filed in federal court in Atlanta. The NFL has not yet commented on the lawsuit. Football fan alleges discrimination, collusion in NFL draft against Shedeur Sanders: Lawsuit originally appeared on
