Mario Cristobal admits he never heard from Mel Kiper after Cam Ward, Shedeur Sanders draft moment

Throughout the 2025 NFL Draft, analyst Mel Kiper Jr. was adamant in his belief in Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders. That belief drew some criticism from fans as he was often caught spending time on Sanders, even as Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward was selected first overall.

Now, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal admitted that never even heard from Kiper ahead of the NFL Draft. That’s despite saying he spoke to “a million people” about Ward in the lead-up to the NFL Draft. He also noted that offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson didn’t speak to Kiper either.

“Never heard from him,” Cristobal said. “I don’t think I’ve ever talked to him.”

Kiper was fairly heavily criticized for how he handled Sanders and the NFL Draft. In particular, he was criticized for overshadowing the moments of several selected players by spending time speaking about Sanders instead of them. Ward, being the first overall pick, would normally have had much more attention placed on him and what he can bring to his new team — the Tennessee Titans.

Ward himself was in Green Bay for the NFL Draft. So, he wasn’t watching live on TV. Luckily, Cristobal also shared that neither of them is particularly disappointed by the coverage or lack thereof.

“The only reason I would be disappointed was if Cam was,” he said, “But knowing Cam, he just wanted to hear the name & exactly where he was going & get to work.”

Now, Ward is going to work in Nashville as the first round pick of the Tennessee Titans. He’ll likely be quickly asked to take over as their franchise quarterback. Shedeur Sanders, meanwhile, slid to the fifth round and was the second quarterback selected by the Cleveland Browns. There, he’s going to battle for a spot in a crowded quarterback room.

Cam Ward on progressing through Titans rookie minicamp

Now at rookie minicamp, Ward is putting his best foot forward. That means getting down to business and being the best quarterback he can be for the Titans.

“I’m about business. I really want to be a pro. I want to be one of the great ones. And I just want to be a good teammate at the end of the day. I want to win a lot of football games in my career,” Ward said. “Learning the custodians’ names, the cafeteria, we’ve got a great building.”

After beginning his career at Incarnate Word and stopping at Washington State before getting to Miami, it was a long time coming for Cam Ward and the NFL. Now, he doesn’t want to waste his opportunity in Tennessee.