1. For Night 1 of the NFL draft, I was locked into ESPN. Normally, I’d try to watch NFL Network as well, but with the Knicks and Pistons playing at the same time as the draft, I had to limit my focus to ESPN and TNT.
I went with ESPN because of three reasons, basically. I just had Mel Kiper on SI Media With Jimmy Traina, so I wanted to see if I viewed his draft work differently after interviewing him. The other two reasons: Dan Orlovsky and Peter Schrager.
Orlovsky has carved out quite a niche for himself as a tape guy, so I was interested in his analysis of the picks. In addition, Orlovsky isn’t afraid to be opinionated, which is a nice change of pace on draft coverage because every analyst says every player is great.
Schager, meanwhile, just came over to ESPN after a long run with NFL Network, so I was excited to see how he’d fit on the Worldwide Leader.
To my surprise and disappointment, though, Orlovsky and Schrager were not part of ESPN (or ABC’s) draft coverage.
Orlovsky was relegated to posting selfie videos on social media, while Schrager was part of Pat McAfee’s draft show. Huh?
One of the trademarks of sports television studio shows is that they love to put about 500 people on the air. They stuff as many people as physically possible on their set while also using a bunch of reporters and analysts in various forms.
Yet for the NFL draft, ESPN couldn’t find spots for Orlovsky and Schrager. I don’t get it.
This isn’t a criticism of ESPN’s main panel. Louis Riddick and Booger McFarland are excellent and Kiper is the all-time draft guru. ESPN’s draft coverage is always going to be The Mel Kiper Show. But it’s mind-boggling that ESPN couldn’t find roles for Orlovsky and Schrager.
In addition to being a tape guy, Orlovsky has been used on all of ESPN’s daytime programming for weeks and weeks to break down the draft and offer analysis of players who would be drafted. Yet, for the biggest NFL event of the year after the Super Bowl, ESPN didn’t use Orlovsky.
They sure could’ve used Orlovsky, too. The biggest story of the opening round was Shedeur Sanders going undrafted. While Kiper was continually effusive in his praise of Sanders, Orlovsky has been vocal about not loving Sanders. So much so that Deion Sanders even called Orlovsky “a hater” on social media.
Yes he did! Wow https://t.co/Pwx5ECI4BV
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) April 24, 2025
In addition, no one in the NFL draft world has talked up Jaxson Dart as much as Orlovsky. The Giants trading up to draft Dart, while passing on Sanders, was one of the biggest moments of the opening round. And something Orlovsky speculated about weeks ago.
Dart 100% gets through progressions
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) March 20, 2025
Dart 100% is accurate with the ball downfield
Remember who said it first, how how does he go and to whom?@Giants @Raiders @Saints @steelers pic.twitter.com/Lgjl8ckR7a
Instead of ESPN having a back-and-forth between Kiper and Orlovsky on this, Orlovsky was stuck in a hotel talking into his iPhone.
As for Schrager, when ESPN officially hired him, they sent out a press release saying Schrager’s network debut would be at the draft. Schrager has been on air, though, for weeks, and then could only be seen on ESPN+ and social media channels during the draft, where he was used on McAfee’s show.
Schrager is as plugged-in as anyone is with front office people and agents. The NFL draft is his wheelhouse. Instead, ESPN used him on what is for the most part a comedy show. That’s not a knock on McAfee’s show in any way, shape or form. It’s entertaining and Ty Schmitt’s Mad Mel Kiper is amazing. But that was far from the best use of Schrager.
What makes the cases of Orlovsky and Schrager even more bizarre is that they could’ve been used on two shows, with the draft airing on ABC and ESPN.
And don’t hold your breath waiting to see Orlovsky and/or Schrager on Friday night’s coverage. Both men inexplicably will not be part of ESPN's draft coverage once again.
2. Not only was Shedeur Sanders not drafted in the first round on Thursday, but 32 teams passing on him also led to his dad, Deion, getting Community Noted on X.
He will be a top 5 pick. Where yo son going ? Lololol I got time today. Lololol https://t.co/tGS6dfm7iy
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) May 1, 2024
3. Only the NFL could make an announcement about an announcement so cringe, but that’s what happened last night when ESPN’s Laura Rutledge and NFL Network’s Colleen Wolfe did a two-minute bit to tell us that the NFL schedule for the 2025 season would be released on May 14.
The 2025 NFL schedule release announcement was, uh, something. 🏈📺🎙️#NFL #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/8mjavuKnW0
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 25, 2025
Was that really just an announcement for the schedule announcement?
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) April 25, 2025
4. Only Charles Barkley could get away with calling out the NBA for putting a playoff game on NBA TV while on TV doing studio work for an NBA playoff game.
Charles Barkley & the TNT crew were irate at Clippers-Nuggets being put on NBA TV instead of Thunder-Grizzlies:
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) April 24, 2025
“Are y'all serious right now… Y’all got the best series going on NBA TV?! Who made that decision? We knew that was going to be a best series!” pic.twitter.com/HywhIsQeIO
5. Steve Kerr would like people to stop chanting the f-word at Draymond Green because Green has kids. Memo to Kerr: Nobody is going to have any sympathy for Green after all the incidents he’s been involved in over the years. Using the “he has kids” card is beyond weak by Kerr.
STEVE KERR on some of the Houston crowd's more explicit chants that may have triggered Draymond Green tonight:
— KNBR (@KNBR) April 24, 2025
"It's not ideal when a crowd is chanting 'F you Draymond' ... I would prefer if fans could use a little more discretion and remember that the guy has kids. Maybe I'm… pic.twitter.com/YyyNHq31q0
6. A brand-new SI Media With Jimmy Traina dropped this morning and it features an interview with author and journalist Jim Miller.
Miller, who wrote the book on ESPN, shared his insight into numerous topics regarding the Worldwide Leader.
How will ESPN’s expected deal to acquire NFL Media, which includes NFL Network and the Red Zone channel, play out? What will ESPN’s direct-to-consumer product look like and what will the monthly cost be? After opting out of its deal with MLB, could ESPN end up signing a new deal with the sport?
In addition, Miller also weighs in on ESPN’s deal with Warner Brothers Discovery to air Inside the NBA, how ESPN’s partnership with Pat McAfee has gone and how ESPN views Stephen A. Smith’s possible presidential run.
Miller, who also wrote a book about Saturday Night Live, discusses the show’s recent 50th anniversary episode and SNL50: The Homecoming Concert.
You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast below or on Apple and Spotify.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: On this date in 2004, the “Marco Polo” episode of The Sopranos aired on HBO. I have a soft spot for this episode because it featured some vintage Uncle Junior, who had no issues at all spoiling the surprise birthday party for Carmela’s father.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on X and Instagram.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ESPN Made Some Curious Decisions With Its NFL Draft Coverage.
