Is Mel Kiper Jr. The Biggest Loser Of The 2025 NFL Draft?

Every NFL draft has its winners and losers but is the biggest loser from this year's draft actually Mel Kiper Jr.? He's not even a player!

Football fans have long known Mel Kiper Jr. as the face of the NFL draft. He's long been ESPN's trusted source for all things draft. It's his job. That's his one responsibility--find the biggest prospects of the draft for his big board. His big board is basically his list of the top prospects in each year's draft. He makes it regardless of position and focuses on the best of the best. Who was the top quarterback on his big board this year? Shedeur Sanders, the Colorado quarterback who has fallen out of not only the first round of the NFL draft but also the 2nd and 3rd. That's not a good look for the young Sanders, but it might be an even worse look for Mel Kiper Jr.

Early in the draft process, it was believed Shadeur Sanders could go first in the 2025 NFL Draft. It was clear the Tennessee Titans needed a quarterback, but they eventually opted to go with Cam Ward out of Miami. So, that meant Sanders would likely be the 2nd quarterback taken in the draft and maybe would go to Cleveland, New York, Las Vegas, New Orleans, or Pittsburgh in the first round. All of those were at one point or another considered landing spots for Deion Sander's son. However, the first round came and went and Sanders was not taken while 2 QBs were--Ward and Jaxon Dart out of Ole Miss who the New York Giants traded back into the 1st round to get. Not a good look for the QB who had some custom New York Giants cleats made earlier in the year. Yikes.

Following the first round, several other quarterbacks would be taken. There was Tyler Shough was picked in the 2nd round by the New Orleans Saints, a place Sanders could have easily landed. In the 3rd round, Jalen Milroe of Alabama went to Seattle and Dillion Gabriel went to Cleveland. Sanders remained on the board. The favorite QB of Mel Kiper Jr. wasn't one of the first 5 quarterbacks selected. How was he so wrong on this?

The internet is getting a lot of jokes in about Sanders but even more seem to be coming in about Mel Kiper Jr. who seems to be distraught over Sanders not getting picked. Some people are even questioning if the Sanders family paid him to be so supportive because how else could he be so wrong? Maybe he put more value into accuracy, one of Sander's strong points, than others? Maybe he failed to consider some factors that happen off the field? Is that what this is coming down to?

NFL owners might be scared to pick a player like Sanders. His signature move after wins was flashing his fancy watch at the opposing crowd. It always seemed very similar to a move Johnny Manziel might make, as he was often known for making the money sign with his hands after big plays. Could NFL execs be seeing too many similarities to Johnny Football that are scaring them away? There were reports heading into the draft that his interviews did not go well and that he came off uninterested and disengaged. That's never good.

Regardless of where Sanders falls, this all has been a terrible weekend for him and Mel Kiper Jr. ESPN might be looking for a new face of their draft day because the internet is roasting Kiper Jr. right now and to be this far off and for him to be this out of the loop has to be alarming. If anyone should be aware of the ins and outs of the NFL draft it's him! At the time of writing this, Shadeur Sanders remains undrafted after pick 131. He's losing his touch. Somewhere out there Todd McShay is popping some bubbly, I imagine.