Longtime ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. will not attend the upcoming 2022 draft due to his vaccination status.
Kiper is unvaccinated against COVID-19, a decision he says is “very specific to my own personal medical history.” As a result, he’ll cover this year’s draft from his home studio in Maryland, rather than being onsite in Las Vegas.
“I completely support everyone determining what’s best for their individual circumstance and recognize the value of vaccines,” Kiper wrote. “Simply put, my Covid vaccination decision is very specific to my own personal medical history.
“I appreciate my colleagues, particularly the production staff and my fellow commentators, for their support and flexibility.”
I am looking forward to being part of the 2022 NFL Draft, my 39th for ESPN pic.twitter.com/C5ea9NjdqK
— Mel Kiper Jr. (@MelKiperESPN) April 18, 2022
Kiper has worked the NFL Draft remotely before, back in 2020 when the entire process was done virtually during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Him not being there probably won’t have that much of an impact on ESPN’s production.
The 2022 NFL Draft will take place April 28-30.
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