Rece Davis Clears Air After Tense On-air Clash With Fellow Espn Star Over Shedeur Sanders' Nfl Draft Drop

Sheduer Sanders' unexpected driblet from a projected first-round prime to a fifth-round action was nan astir polarizing taxable from past week's NFL Draft.

Longtime ESPN draught expert Mel Kiper Jr. was among nan staunch defenders of Sanders, and nan erstwhile Colorado star's fall to nan Cleveland Browns appeared to time off nan broadcaster successful a authorities of disbelief. 

Shortly aft Sanders' sanction came disconnected nan board, Kiper unleashed connected NFL franchises, which led to a conflict betwixt him and workfellow Rece Davis.

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ESPN "College GameDay" big Rece Davis during nan Rose Bowl betwixt nan Penn State Nittany Lions and nan Utah Utes Jan. 2, 2023, successful Pasadena, Calif. (Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Kiper said nan NFL had been "clueless" for 5 decades evaluating quarterbacks. Kiper appeared further perplexed owed to his belief Sanders is "one of nan toughest quarterbacks you’ve ever seen."  

NFL expert Louis Riddick past explained to Kiper that nan mobility wasn’t astir whether Sanders could play backmost but, from a squad perspective, whether a squad wanted him. Davis agreed pinch Riddick, who added, "The draught has spoken."

The on-air spat sparked questions astir whether immoderate level of animosity existed betwixt Davis and Kiper. But during a caller quality connected OutKick's "Don’t @ Me pinch Dan Dakich," nan ESPN "College GameDay" big made it clear he doesn't person a problem pinch his colleague. 

SHEDEUR SANDERS REVEALS BOLD GOAL AS MEMBER OF BROWNS

Davis acknowledged nan occupation Kiper is tasked pinch arsenic a draught analyst.

ESPN expert Mel Kiper Jr. during nan 2011 NFL Draft astatine Radio City Music Hall successful New York City April 28, 2011. (Howard Smith/USA Today Sports)

"First of all, and I'm not doing that point that Pete Thamel accuses maine of, wherever I opportunity 2 things bully astir personification and past connection a critique aliases something," Davis told Dakich. "But nan logic location were … immoderate nan number (of fans) was successful Detroit nan erstwhile twelvemonth is mostly owed to what Mel's done for nan draft. 

"And Mel’s occupation is to make his rankings of nan players and take sides them. And I didn’t mind him disagreeing, and I don’t mind him saying thing he wanted to opportunity erstwhile we're there. But I thought that, arsenic a group, nan portion we were overlooking was nan aged Occam's razor accuracy — nan astir apt mentation for thing is astir apt correct. We don’t cognize for sure."

A surface shows Colorado backmost Shedeur Sanders aft he was chosen by nan Cleveland Browns pinch nan 144th wide prime during nan 3rd time of nan NFL Draft April 26, 2025, successful Green Bay, Wis.  (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Davis past pointed to Sanders' wide scrutinized handling of nan pre-draft process, arguing it could person played a domiciled successful nan quarterback's fall.

"But it was almost definite that, astatine that constituent successful nan draft, that thing had happened successful nan pre-draft process involving Shedeur Sanders that was keeping teams from taking him," Davis added. "Now, I deliberation it’s a reasonable statement if you opportunity he's not a apical 5 backmost connected portion astatine this time. 

"I'm not judge that it's reasonable that he's not a first aliases second-round type guy. That seems a small unreasonable to me. So, if you spell beyond that, past thing other astir apt happened. And my only constituent was I didn't deliberation we were giving that nan due credence."

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Davis said his narration pinch Kiper was successful a bully place, and he enjoys moving pinch him.

"It’s fine. I didn’t moreover cognize location was an rumor until I started getting texts for illustration you were saying," he said. "It’s benignant of portion and parcel of what we do. Sometimes, for nan analyst’s ain bully and for nan bully of nan show, you situation their position. Mel’s great. I emotion moving pinch Mel. And he’s nan logic nan draught is what it is, successful my opinion."

Shortly aft nan Browns selected Sanders connected nan last time of nan draft, he took to societal media to stock a short but affectional message: "Thank you GOD."

Sanders vanished nan 2024 play astatine Colorado pinch 4,134 passing yards. He will subordinate a crowded backmost room successful Cleveland pinch Deshaun Watson, Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and Dillon Gabriel.

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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