Rece Davis Breaks Silence on Mel Kiper Jr. After Tense On-Air Showdown—What He Really Thinks Will Surprise You

Shedeur Sanders slipping all the way into the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft? Now, that’s the kind of quirky sports saga that makes you wonder: did teams collectively lose their minds—or is there some backstage mystery keeping this talented quarterback under wraps? Especially puzzling since the Cleveland Browns already grabbed Dillon Gabriel earlier, setting the stage for a rookie QB showdown that’s got fans buzzing and analysts, well, riled up. I mean, when seasoned voices like Mel Kiper Jr. slam the NFL’s quarterback evaluation as “clueless” (and boy, he wasn’t holding back), you know something’s got everybody talking. And then there’s Rece Davis, who popped off about a pre-draft curio concerning Sanders, all while reminding us that even draft-day disagreements don’t mean time to throw shade at colleagues. So here we are, with a bruised NFL assessment system, a high-profile slip on draft day, and a Browns roster suddenly up for grabs after Watson’s injury—who’s going to rise? Sanders or Gabriel? The clock’s ticking. LEARN MORE.

Shedeur Sanders’ slide into the fifth round of the NFL Draft is one of the biggest sports stories in recent memory, and both Sanders’ supporters and detractors have been vocal about the rookie quarterback.

Sanders’ late selection on Saturday caused more controversy, especially after the Cleveland Browns already picked Dillon Gabriel in a previous round. 

Gabriel and Sanders will each have the opportunity to fight for the starting job, but one analyst was upset with how long the Colorado quarterback remained on the board.

“We don’t know for sure, but it was almost certain at that point in the draft that something had happened in the pre-draft process involving Shedeur Sanders that was keeping teams from taking him,” Davis said, assessing Kiper’s reaction to the fall. 

Davis gave his recent comments on Outkick’s Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich.

Rece Davis on his viral NFL Draft spat with Mel Kiper Jr. regarding Shedeur Sanders' draft slide:

"It was almost certain at that point in the draft that something had happened in the pre-draft process involving Shedeur Sanders that was keeping teams from taking him."@dandakich… pic.twitter.com/DCXDGKNdHa

— OutKick (@Outkick) May 1, 2025

“There was never a problem between Mel and me. You know, I mean people asking, ‘Are you guys okay?’ Yeah, we’re great. Mel’s a legend. I love working with Mel. 

We didn’t have a single cross word in between. We’re still joking about, you know, the beach in Delaware and and why and why he won’t, you know, he won’t try certain things at dinner.”

Kiper and Davis have been colleagues at ESPN for decades, so it makes sense that they would feel comfortable sharing a difference of opinion, even if it happened live on air.

“The NFL has been clueless for 50 years when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks. Clueless! They have no idea what they’re doing in terms of evaluating quarterbacks,” Kiper said as Sanders continued to fall during the draft.

“That’s proof right there. They think they know exactly what they’re talking about with quarterbacks – they don’t.” 

“Yelling at the NFL about it is not productive,” Davis told Kiper, after the latter went into a rant about the state of quarterback evaluation in the NFL.

Sanders will have the chance to prove his doubters wrong – and his supporters like Kiper right – when he takes to the field in training camp and the preseason. The Browns will have a new starting quarterback, at least for next season after Deshaun Watson’s Achilles injury.

We’ll see if Sanders or Gabriel will be the rookie to lead the offense into the future.