Mel Kiper Jr. has been anchoring ESPN's coverage of the NFL Draft since 1984. Although he still has some gas left in the tank, the network is already thinking about who'll replace him.
It doesn't matter if he's right or wrong, Kiper is always going to bring a ton of energy to ESPN's telecast of the NFL Draft. Before the Cleveland Browns selected Shedeur Sanders last April with the 144th overall pick, he slammed all 31 other teams for passing on the son of NFL legend Deion Sanders.
“The NFL has been clueless for 50 years when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks,” Kiper said. “They have no idea what they’re doing in terms of evaluating quarterbacks. That’s proof. There’s proof of that. They say, ‘We know exactly what we’re talking about when it comes to quarterbacks.’ They don’t!”
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NFL fans should expect more explosive takes from Kiper later this month.
As for who could eventually replace him, Michael McCarthy and Ryan Glasspiegel of Front Office Sports reported that Daniel Jeremiah is on ESPN's radar.
"Kiper, the pioneering king of the draft gurus, turns 66 this year. He’s been a mainstay of ESPN’s NFL Draft coverage since 1984. But Todd McShay, his presumed successor, was swept out of ESPN during the layoffs of 2023 that claimed other big names such as Max Kellerman, Jeff Van Gundy, and Jalen Rose," the report from Front Office Sports stated.
"On the other hand, Rapoport and Jeremiah are 46 and 48 years old respectively. Both are highly thought of by ESPN brass as they decide who they want to retain at NFL Network in the coming months and years."
Who is Daniel Jeremiah?
In May 2012, NFL Network hired Daniel Jeremiah as a draft analyst. Prior to landing that gig, he spent times as a scout for the Baltimore ravens, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles.
Jeremiah might not be as polarizing on TV as Kiper, but he's already regarded by some as the top draft analyst in the NFL community.
Suffice to say, Jeremiah would be a great option to replace Kiper.
