The NFL Draft is in the books, and soon enough, things will be back to all politics, all the time. Before I shift back into the normal routine, though, we've got to discuss just how insane some sports analysts went over Shedeur Sanders not being drafted until the fifth round. Heck, I'd go so far as to suggest that ESPN should fire Mel Kiper after the way he behaved. 

We'll get to the drama, but to provide the necessary background, here's an excerpt from my original write-up on the Shedeur Sanders situation. If you aren't plugged into football, it should give a pretty good idea of the issues and why NFL teams passed on him repeatedly despite the media obsession.

SEE: After Cries of Racism, Shedeu Sanders Finally Gets Drafted, and Then His Dad's Old Tweets Resurface 

To offer a quick recap of how we got here, Shedeur Sanders was projected by many media personalities to go in the first round, with ESPN's Mel Kiper having him rated as his top quarterback. The situation was always a lot more complicated than statistics and projections, though. Shedeur Sanders had become infamous for his arrogance and entitlement, taking to calling himself a "legend" after barely posting a .500 record at Colorado University. 

The school even recently retired his number at the behest of his father, who is the coach (and Hall of Fame NFL player) of the aforementioned Buffaloes. For the draft, an entire custom green room was built, with the anticipation that he would go very early. There were also a series of on-the-field incidents arguably demonstrating bad sportsmanship and a lack of leadership. 

In other words, Shedeur Sanders came across as a spoiled brat, flaunting his wealth and privilege, and that continued into the draft process. There were reports of him being ill-prepared for meetings at the combine (which is essentially a pre-draft workout) and even sandbagging to try to ensure he didn't go to certain teams. At one point, Shedeur Sanders told teams, "Don't get me if you ain't trying to change the franchise or the coach." Again, the sense of over-inflated worth and authority no doubt worried NFL teams, especially given that his ceiling as a prospect was actually not that high, relatively speaking.

With that out of the way, let's dive into some of the reactions, and at the top of the list has to be Mel Kiper. For some reason, ESPN's long-time draft guru had a complete and total meltdown when Shedeur Sanders wasn't taken in the first round. I'd assume part of that is because he inexplicably had him ranked as his top quarterback in the class. As the draft unfolded, Kiper became more and more unhinged, culminating in this embarrassing episode.

Wild TV here with Mel Kiper, Rece Davis, and Louis Riddick.

Louis Riddick: "Mel, the draft has spoken."

Rece Davis: "Yelling at the NFL about it is not productive!"

Mel Kiper: "The NFL has been clueless for 50 years when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks! Clueless!.." pic.twitter.com/QRkSXINr67

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 26, 2025

Ask yourself this. If Kiper had been paid off by Deion Sanders to promote his son and try to influence the draft, what would he have done differently? I'm not saying I have evidence that happened, but I am saying it sure seems like that happened. I understand that Kiper wanted to defend his analysis, but this feels like something more, and ESPN should have stepped in earlier in the draft to shut this down. 

That wasn't the worst part, though. At the end of his rant, Kiper claimed that "the NFL has been clueless for 50 years" regarding the evaluation of quarterbacks. There are a few issues here. One, the NFL keeps ESPN afloat financially, so maybe don't attack the golden goose out of some ridiculous disagreement over someone as controversial and overrated as Shedeur Sanders. Two, Kiper himself has been completely clueless when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks. 

This is a guy who slammed the Colts for drafting Peyton Manning over Ryan Leaf (one of the biggest busts of all time). He also promised to retire if Jimmy Clausen didn't become a "successful starting quarterback." Needless to say, he failed miserably and was out of the league in five years. So yeah, ESPN should put Kiper out to pasture before he does anymore damage to their already teetering brand. 

Then there was Skip Bayless, who, to be fair, you'd expect to act like a lunatic. Still, his rush to blame racism for Shedeur Sanders' slide was so stupid and illogical that it's worth mentioning. 

I’M SO SICKENED AND I’M SO SADDENED OVER WHAT THIS LEAGUE JUST DID TO SHEDEUR pic.twitter.com/RUHloti2Nu

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 26, 2025

I won't bore you with the 15-minute transcript, but Bayless claimed in the above video that there are too many "white people" in charge in the NFL. How such a charge of racism makes sense when the number one pick was a black quarterback and over 80 percent of players drafted in the first three rounds were black, I'm not sure. But never let it be said that hysterical liberals like Bayless can't always find an angle. I'd say Fox Sports should fire him, but he left the network last year and is now being sued for allegedly offering a hairstylist $1.5 million to sleep with him.

If this is what the sports media has become, then it's no great mystery why so many outlets are struggling. Kiper's behavior was absurd, and Bayless is always absurd. Retirement would suit all of us at this point.

Editor’s Note: Every single day, here at RedState, we will stand up and FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT against the radical left and deliver the conservative reporting our readers deserve.

Help us continue to tell the truth about the Trump administration and its major wins. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.