Mel Kiper’s crash out after Shedeur Sanders was drafted was one for the ages

I’ve never seen a man love another man as much as Mel Kiper loves Shedeur Sanders.

Kiper is no stranger to passionate draft day takes, but his reaction to Sanders’ fall in the 2025 NFL Draft felt like a complete meltdown in real time.

Heading into the weekend, Kiper was among the many who projected Sanders as a first-round pick. He even ranked the former Colorado quarterback as his fifth-best overall prospect — an aggressive stance compared to where most NFL teams ultimately valued him. As round after round passed and Sanders remained on the board, Kiper’s frustration became more and more visible during ESPN’s broadcast. At one point, he called it “disgusting” that no team had selected him.

Read More: Shedeur Sanders gets prank called by a fake Saints GM, told he’ll “have to wait a little longer”

When the Cleveland Browns finally ended Sanders’ slide by drafting him in the fifth round, Mel Kiper unloaded. He ripped into NFL front offices, calling them “clueless” when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks and flat-out claiming the league has been missing the mark for half a century.

Mel Kiper’s crash out was one for the ages

“The NFL has been clueless for 50 years when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks…CLUELESS”

Shedeur goes 144 overall. The Mel Kiper rage tour is just getting started.pic.twitter.com/Mdo5t1YIC4

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 26, 2025

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It was the kind of rant you expect from someone personally invested — and maybe a little too stubborn about it. While it’s understandable that Kiper believed in Sanders’ potential, it’s hard to ignore his history when it comes to quarterback evaluations. This is the same analyst who once declared Jimmy Clausen would be a star and suggested he would retire if Clausen failed. That didn’t exactly age well.

At the end of the day, Mel Kiper remains one of the most recognizable faces of the NFL Draft. But moments like Saturday show just how wide the gap can be between the TV hype machine and how NFL teams truly value players.