Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders doesn’t know if he’ll be the starting quarterback in his second season as a professional, but he’ll be hard-pressed to find a more ardent supporter than ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr, who touted him leading up to last year’s draft and was incredulous after his slide to the fifth round.
Kiper stood firm in his support of Sanders after he finished his rookie season with 7 touchdown passes, 10 interceptions, and a 68.1 quarterback rating, the second-worst in the NFL, and reiterated his support leading up to the 2026 NFL draft.
“I still believe strongly in Shedeur and what he can do in Cleveland,” Kiper said on ESPN’s First Take.
On Saturday, while covering the third and final day of the 2026 draft with Louis Riddick and Rece Davis, Kiper jumped at the opportunity to mention Sanders again, much to the amusement of his colleagues.
While discussing the Pittsburgh Steelers need for an “heir apparent” to Aaron Rodgers at the quarterback position, Kiper mentioned some of the other “stars” in the division.
“You got Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow in this division, you got Shedeur Sanders in this division as well,” Kiper said.
“Lou, stop laughing over there,” Kiper tells Riddick, who can be heard laughing off camera, shortly after.
Louis Riddick and Rece Davis couldn’t wait to give Mel Kiper, Jr. a hard time after bringing up Shedeur Sanders on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
“How long did it take? A half-hour? Not even…” pic.twitter.com/6jiX2UEzxv
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 25, 2026
“I was just looking at Rece’s face!” Riddick said, chuckling. “Rece’s face was like, ‘Here we go.’
“How long did it take? A half hour?”
“Not even! This is like the whole theme last year!” Davis said.
It’s obvious that Kiper doesn’t just believe Sanders is the Browns’ long-term answer at quarterback, but also one of the premier talents in the league at the position. It’s hard to imagine anything dissuading him from that position now. Sanders’ struggles on the field last season certainly haven’t. It will be fascinating to see his response if new Browns head coach Todd Monken opts to start Deshaun Watson in Week 1.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.