Mel Kiper Jr. 'Shocked' by Rams, Confused by Chiefs and Hypes Cowboys, Raiders After NFL Draft Day 1

The Los Angeles Rams' selection of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick "shocked the heck" out of ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., per remarks made on the network's post-draft show.

"Ty Simpson going to the Rams at 13...shocked the heck out of me. I thought they would...get a wide receiver to help out that offense with Matthew Stafford, like [USC wide receiver Makai Lemon], right? Like Makai Lemon, get an offensive lineman, like [Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling], right? No, they're getting the heir apparent. Come on."

Kiper also broke down the night in further detail in a post-draft ESPN article.

Of note, Kiper questioned the Kansas City Chiefs' move to go from No. 9 to No. 6 and select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.

"There's a lot to unpack here. First, we have to recognize that the Chiefs gave third- and fifth-round picks to Cleveland to move up to No. 6 to even make this pick. I had Delane as the No. 14 prospect on my board, so it feels like a slight reach. It's an aggressive move for a team that hasn't entered a draft with a top-10 pick since 2013."

Kiper did recognize the Chiefs' needs at cornerback, though, after trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams and letting Jaylen Watson leave in free agency (also to the Rams). He did add that Delane may not have been there at No. 9 (a look at the current draft board, along with B/R's first-round rundown, can be found below).

Kiper still wasn't convinced, though: "But between the reach and the draft capital headed to the Browns, I'm not sure this was the savviest move."

On the flip side, Kiper called the Raiders one of his biggest winners, citing the choice of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall one of the best picks.

"We all knew it was going to happen, and they had the benefit of just getting to pick before any other team. But that shouldn't discount Las Vegas' night -- the Raiders got a franchise quarterback and my No. 1 overall prospect in this class. Mendoza's ball placement is tremendous (72 percent completion rate in 2025), and don't sleep on his mobility and arm.

"Las Vegas has a pretty good offensive battery with Mendoza, running back Ashton Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers, the team's past three first-round picks."

Kiper also loved the Cowboys' moves. They traded twice, moving from No. 12 to No. 11 to select Ohio State safety Caleb Downs. Dallas also moved down three spots from No. 20 to No. 23 to select UCF edge-rusher Malachi Lawrence.

Here's what Kiper had to say about both players.

"Dallas traded two fifth-round picks to move up one spot, but it was worth it. The Cowboys got my No. 6 prospect and a culture-changer for a defense that needed one. They had a top-five offense last season. It didn't matter. Dallas would get into the end zone, and opponents would immediately go the other way and score. But Downs won't tolerate that on the back end of the secondary. He diagnoses and sniffs out plays, and he has the coverage and tackling ability to limit the big plays that buried the Cowboys in 2025 (54 plays allowed of 25 or more yards, most in the NFL).

"Turns out, those traded picks were coming right back, too. Putting aside the fact that it was an in-division move, how about the Cowboys trading back three spots from No. 20 to No. 23 with the Eagles and getting a pair of fourth-rounders in return? (Though, they sent a 2027 seventh to Philly as part of the deal.) The Cowboys turned the No. 23 pick into Lawrence, who has risen very fast over the past few months. As we saw both on tape and at the combine, he can fly off the edge. Lawrence had seven sacks last season and helps a defense that tied for 22nd in that area in its first year without Micah Parsons (35)."

Downs, in particular, was well-regarded by scouts. Of note, the B/R NFL Scouting Department had Downs first overall among all prospects on its big board.

Lawrence fills a huge need for Dallas. Only one player returning to the team (James Houston) had more than three sacks last year (he finished with five-and-a-half). Of course, the Cowboys added Rashan Gary, who had seven-and-a-half sacks and 20 quarterback hits for the Green Bay Packers in 2025.

Still, Dallas allowed the most points per game (30.1) in the NFL last year. The Cowboys needed to add more reinforcements and got two in the first round.