ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. expressed strong support for Shedeur Sanders, predicting he would excel in the NFL despite Sanders not being selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. Kiper argued that Sanders possesses the qualities of a top NFL quarterback, such as toughness and an unflappable mindset, and compared his draft slide to those of NFL greats like Aaron Rodgers and Dan Marino. Throughout the broadcast, Kiper criticized teams for overlooking Sanders, emphasizing his potential and ranking him eighth on his “Best Available” list heading into the subsequent rounds.