Find someone who loves you as much as ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. loved Shedeur Sanders in the NFL Draft. Deion Sanders did, and he’s thankful.
From a first-round expectation to a fifth-round pick, Sanders’ slide was the biggest topic during the 2025 NFL Draft. And no one advocated more for Sanders than Kiper on ESPN. But as many saw Kiper’s coverage of Shedeur Sanders at the NFL Draft as one-sided, Deion Sanders saw great balance.
Earlier this week, Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal called Kiper out by claiming he spoke “to a million” people about No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward prior to the draft, but the ESPN analyst wasn’t one of them. Kiper defended himself on social media, saying he still had the quarterback ranked higher than any other draft expert. And Deion Sanders chimed in to give Mel Kiper Jr. a pat on the back for his draft coverage.
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… https://t.co/rvZqP30UuA pic.twitter.com/EGzBMQy0FJ
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) May 15, 2025
“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,” Sanders wrote. “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 for 20 years before coaching.”
You would have been hard-pressed to find anyone praising Kiper for having “great balance” as the draft was unfolding. Kiper didn’t seem balanced in how he split airtime between quarterback prospects during his draft coverage. But Kiper did technically provide balance to the NFL teams and executives who were making it abundantly clear they didn’t consider Sanders a first-round pick or a top quarterback prospect.
Shedeur Sanders was ultimately selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 144th overall pick. And his career will now forever be attached to Mel Kiper Jr. If Sanders goes on to have a long career as a starting quarterback, it gives Kiper the right to say ‘told you so.’ But if Sanders is another Jimmy Clausen, then Kiper will always be reminded of the 2025 NFL Draft.