Mel Kiper Jr., the longtime ESPN draft guru, dropped his official grades for the 2026 NFL Draft on Sunday, and the internet is not holding back. While Kiper has been a fixture of draft analysis for over three decades, his latest report card has fans rolling their eyes and firing off sharp critiques.
In his breakdown, Kiper handed out A grades to four teams, with the Cleveland Browns earning top marks. He praised their 2025 class for living up to expectations and predicted another strong group for 2026. But not everyone got love: the San Francisco 49ers received the lowest grade, with Kiper calling their picks “confusing” and suggesting general manager John Lynch reached for players far above their projected value.
Fans were quick to point out that Kiper’s crystal ball has been cloudy before. He famously hyped Jimmy Clausen as a can’t-miss QB prospect, only to see him fizzle out after five seasons. More recently, he ranked Shedeur Sanders as the top QB in the 2025 class, but Sanders slid to the fifth round. That miss still stings for many, and it’s fueling the current backlash.
“Kiper really knows nothing. Not sure why they keep putting him on tv,” one fan wrote on social media. Another joked, “Kiper is a genius who accurately predicted that Shedeur Sanders would be a rookie pro bowl QB.” The sarcasm was thick, with one commenter adding, “He’s wrong more than he’s right. He should be a weatherman.”
Even among the criticism, some fans found a silver lining. “Perfect. That means they nailed it! Kiper is always wrong,” one fan said, suggesting that a low grade from Kiper might actually be a good sign. Others were less charitable: “With Mel Kiper’s draft calling record, I predict several of his ‘stars’ will fall on their face and others who he dislikes will be stars. I would not hire him to clean my garage! Horrible at his job!”
The backlash isn’t just about one draft. It’s a growing frustration with Kiper’s spotty track record and the weight his grades carry in the media. While some still tune in for his takes, many are questioning whether his opinions should be taken seriously. In a related story, Mel Kiper Jr. also named three NFL teams as the 2026 draft’s biggest losers, adding fuel to the fire.
For fans of the 49ers, Kiper’s F grade might sting, but history suggests it’s not the final word. After all, draft grades are just predictions, and the real test comes on the field. As for Kiper, he’s used to the heat. The question is whether fans will ever put much stock into his grades again.
Meanwhile, the draft itself had its share of drama. Diego Pavia made unwanted NFL draft history as the first Heisman runner-up to go undrafted in 12 years, a story that overshadowed some of the picks. And Bill Belichick’s first NFL draft as UNC coach was labeled a total bust, adding another layer of intrigue to the weekend.
So, how much stock do you put into Mel Kiper Jr.’s NFL Draft grades? The fans have spoken, and the verdict is clear: not much.
