Jeff Ulbrich never questioned his standing with the Atlanta Falcons — even as his family faced public backlash during the NFL Draft for a prank call his son orchestrated to Shedeur Sanders. The defensive coordinator told ESPN he was met with unwavering support from top to bottom within the organization.

ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. was criticized again for favoring Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders over others, including the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Gabriel, a six-year player in college who was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, was viewed as a possible Day 3 option, according to ESPN draft ... By Tuesday, Shedeur Sanders had arrived ...

Although Ward landing with the Titans had long been a lock, much of Kiper’s draft commentary was centered on Shedeur, even after the Giants — who had done the most homework on Sanders’ son — traded back into the first round to select Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart at No. 25 overall.

The entire subsequent 20-minute discussion about Shedeur by the ESPN ... The reality was that NFL Draft evaluators saw Sanders in a very different way than ESPN’s lead analyst did.