Mel Kiper, ESPN Get Crushed for Shedeur Sanders Commentary

The first night of the 2025 NFL draft has come and gone, with some major surprises taking place. As always, there were players who were taken much higher than anticipated, while some dropped down the draft board.

But the night's biggest surprise came from the fact that Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders went undrafted. Many saw Sanders as the second-best quarterback in this draft class, and he was expected to be taken in the first round.

With Sanders not being selected, many draft experts are now left scratching their heads. Multiple sports analysts went after ESPN and Mel Kiper for their evaluations of Sanders heading into the night.

Nick Wright of Fox Sports 1 posted his thoughts on social media, saying, "The fact that Mel Kiper’s evaluation of Shedeur Sanders was demonstrably way off compared to the NFL’s evaluation of him shouldn’t be story 1A or 1B every time a different player gets drafted. This has been an insane way to frame this draft, in my opinion.".

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) warms up before the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Alamodome.

Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Brett McMurphy also took to social media to question Sanders' pre-draft evaluation. McMurphy didn't call anyone out but rather wondered how someone who was so hyped up could fall out of the first round.

Either way, the reality is that Sanders is still available as the second round gets going later today. Some believe that the Cleveland Browns could look to grab him with the No. 33 pick, but that remains to be seen.

Sanders is a talented player, but it seems that he may have been overhyped entering this draft. Additionally, it is possible that the large media coverage with his dad could also be playing a factor in how teams view him.