Mel Kiper passionately defends Shedeur Sanders character: 'I'm just disgusted'

On Friday, former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders suffered an unprecedented slide in the 2025 NFL Draft, going undrafted through the first three rounds. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper, who believes Sanders was the best QB in the 2025 draft class, had a visceral reaction to another day of teams passing on Sanders.

“You talk about cocky or confident, arrogant or charismatic, OK? Leadership. There’s not going to be a show. There’s not going to be a circus with Shedeur Sanders,” Kiper said. “Deion Sanders was one of the hardest working players in the history of this game. He brought with him a great work ethic. He was loved in every locker room.

“Shedeur Sanders will be the same thing. He will galvanize… I don’t know what people are thinking is going to happen when Shedeur Sanders is part of football team. He said he’s going to work, the players are going to rally around him, he’s going to be a hell of a quarterback in his league, and he will cause a lot of sleepless nights and a lot of anguish.”

Mel Kiper Jr. to close out Day 2 on ESPN2 with Shedeur Sanders still undrafted:

"I really have nothing to say. I'm just disgusted. That's all I can say." #NFL #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/ypnTubvVED

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 26, 2025

Sanders has proven doubters wrong before. When Sanders followed his father, Deion, to Colorado after he received the head coaching position, critics claimed that Shedeur wouldn’t be able to produce at the Power Four level.

Over the course of two years, Sanders silenced them. Now, he owns the school’s single-season records for passing yards, completions, attempts, touchdowns, completion percentage and quarterback rating. Moreover, he boasts the 14th-most passing yards in NCAA Division I history.

In the 2024 campaign alone, Sanders tallied 4,134 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and four rushing scores while completing 74% of his pass attempts. For his efforts, he was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and an AP Second-Team All-American.

Sanders’ jaw-dropping statistics translated to the win column. Colorado posted a 9-4 record and were just one win shy of appearing in the Big 12 Championship game. Colorado’s success this past season is even more impressive considering the team’s 4-8 overall record in the 2023 season.

Despite his slide in the draft, Sanders won’t lack confidence at the next level. Kiper still hasn’t lost faith in the 23-year-old QB.

“You won’t find a tougher or more resilient quarterback prospect than Sanders, who took 99 sacks over the past two seasons but still put up really strong numbers,” Kiper wrote. “I’m always impressed watching him throw on the move, rolling either left or right.

“He is very accurate in those spots and has the arm to drive the ball. When his mechanics and footwork are sound, he can pick apart a defense. And while he’s not necessarily a major rushing threat, he can keep the chains moving with his legs when there is an opening.”