Mel Kiper Jr. apparently didn’t feel the need to check in with the coach who may know Cam Ward best.

Miami head coach Mario Cristobal revealed he did not hear from ESPN’s draft guru leading into the 2025 NFL Draft despite Ward ultimately being the No. 1 pick, Matt Ehalt of The New York Post reports.

Kiper made it clear throughout the draft he rated Shedeur Sanders as his No. 1 quarterback in the class.

“Never heard from him,” Cristobal said Wednesday at the ACC spring meetings, according to Action Network. “I don’t think I ever talked to him.”

Cristobal reportedly estimated he spoke with “a million people” regarding Ward, noting how “I can’t recall many NFL teams or TV people I didn’t speak to.”

Kiper’s absence, though, is notable considering the criticism he drew for his remarks throughout the draft.

The longtime draft expert focused so much on Sanders’ fall to the fifth round that many commented how it seemed every other quarterback, including Ward, seemed to be overlooked.

Even when the Giants traded up to draft Jaxson Dart with the No. 25 pick, Kiper instead focused on how they passed on Sanders.

“Cam Ward has been ignored for weeks, and now that he’s about to be drafted, Mel Kiper is talking about Shedeur Sanders???” the Pro Football Talk X account posted the night of the draft.

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