Draft analyst Mel Kiper swiftly raised eyebrows on social media after defiantly going against the reporting of fellow ESPN pundits Dan Orlovsky and Mike Tannenbaum
17:24 ET, 24 Mar 2026
Mel Kiper speaks during the NFL Draft
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Mel Kiper clapped back at the reporting coming from several of his ESPN colleagues(Image: Getty Images)
NFL fans warned that Mel Kiper’s head could soon be on the chopping block after the draft analyst reported information that directly contradicted several of his ESPN colleagues.
On Monday, Dan Orlovsky sent shockwaves across the NFL landscape upon declaring that he’d rather take Alabama's Ty Simpson over Fernando Mendoza, who many view as the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mike Tannenbaum further stoked the hot take by claiming that others across the league agree with the ex-quarterback, writing on X: “In talking to clubs, this opinion is shared by other teams as well.”
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While making an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, Kiper swiftly shut down Orlovsky and Tannenbaum while outlining the multitude of reasons why Mendoza is viewed around the NFL as a more enticing prospect than Simpson.
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“Yeah, that’s not shared by anybody I’ve spoken to,” Kiper said when asked to comment on Orlovsky and Tannenbaum’s takes. “Fernando Mendoza is 1 on my board, Ty Simpson’s at 25.
“You say why? Fernando Mendoza’s nearly four inches taller than Ty Simpson, 25 pounds heavier. 35 starts compared to 15, which is a risky, dangerous number for Ty. And you think about 72 completion percentage to 64, right? Seven rushing touchdowns to two. And the fact that he had five fumbles over a seven-game period.
“Ty Simpson — five fumbles lost, six total for the year. Ty Simpson, only one year as a starter. Fernando Mendoza started at Cal, he was at 69 percent [completion percentage] in 2024, but he was sacked a lot. He cut that sack total down dramatically by going back and playing another year in college, and moving on to Indiana.”
Taking to social media, droves of viewers took note of Kiper’s decision to turn his back on fellow ESPN talking heads. “Mel gonna get fired,” an X user wrote alongside a crying laughing emoji. Someone else added: “Mic drop from Mel. Enough w the nonsense stupidity. ESPN should be ashamed - but they aren’t. They love this.”
Fernando Mendoza looks on during the NFL Combine
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Fernando Mendoza is viewed by many pundits as the presumptive first overall pick in the NFL Draft(Image: Getty Images)
Others rushed to Kiper’s defense, commending him for not falling for the alleged influence that agencies exert over draft discourse. “Mel!!! THANK YOU! CAA is trying to ruin a franchise,” one person said, with another adding: “Mel is the only one I trust man and he’s calling out that fraud.”
A fifth chimed in, “Mel Kiper is correct. Tannenbaum, Dan O and Schefter are all repped by Ty’s agency CAA. They are all frauds for stealing more qualified talents’ draft $ and so is @espn for allowing this fake ‘reporting!’”
To play devil’s advocate, Kiper acknowledged that Mendoza had many more offensive weapons at his disposal in Indiana than Simpson did at Alabama. At the end of the day, however, he argued that the stats don’t lie.
Over 16 games, Mendoza completed 273-of-379 passes for 3,535 yards, an FBS-leading 41 touchdowns and six interceptions while also rushing 90 times for 276 yards and another seven scores. The star signal-caller not only won the Heisman Trophy, but also propelled the Hoosiers to their first national championship in program history.
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Simpson, meanwhile, amassed 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, five interceptions, and 93 rushing yards during his first season as Alabama’s starter.
“I will say for Ty, he didn’t have the offensive line that Mendoza had, didn’t have the receivers catching the ball on a regular basis, didn’t have two excellent running backs as well to balance things out,” Kiper added.
“So Fernando Mendoza had some advantages there, but overall all the check marks that you go across the board go to Mendoza over Simpson.”