Cam Ward, despite being the No. 1 overall pick as a quarterback, received unusually little attention due to the overwhelming focus on Shedeur Sanders during the NFL Draft coverage, particularly by ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. The Cleveland Browns inadvertently overshadowed Ward's announcement by trading down their No. 2 pick to the Jaguars, an event that captured media attention at the same moment Ward was announced. Kiper's persistent comparisons of Sanders to legendary quarterbacks like Tom Brady further diverted attention from Ward's compelling journey from a 0-star recruit to a top draft choice. Analysts have likened Ward's playing style to Patrick Mahomes, highlighting his mobility and ability to execute strong off-platform throws, yet this narrative was largely absent from ESPN's coverage. The Browns, meanwhile, hope Sanders can justify their confidence in him, despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the draft narrative.

Cam Ward's status as the No. 1 overall pick was largely overshadowed due to the intense focus on Shedeur Sanders during the NFL Draft coverage, with ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. repeatedly highlighting Sanders.

A pivotal moment occurred when the Cleveland Browns traded down their No. 2 pick to the Jaguars, an event that was broadcasted on ESPN just as Ward was being announced, thus overshadowing his moment.

Despite Ward's impressive rise from a 0-star recruit in a Wing-T offense to a top draft pick, with a college career spanning Incarnate Word, Washington State, and Miami, his story received minimal coverage compared to Sanders.

Ward has been compared to Patrick Mahomes for his mobility and strong, off-platform throws, but ESPN's coverage focused more on Kiper's comparisons of Sanders to Tom Brady, which dominated the narrative.

The Browns are looking to validate their decision to focus on Sanders, hoping he can live up to the hype and prove their belief in his abilities right, despite the unusual circumstances of the draft coverage.

Cam Ward may have been the least discussed No. 1 overall pick quarterback ever.

That's because of what happened with Shedeur Sanders, and specifically on ESPN because of how much analyst Mel Kiper Jr. was obsessed with Sanders.

Ward's thunder was ruined initially on Thursday night by the Cleveland Browns as a whole.

They were trading down the No. 2 pick to the Jaguars, and that news broke on ESPN within seconds of Ward being announced by commissioner Roger Goodell. 

And then from that point on, Kiper kept bringing up Sanders.

Never mind that Ward had grown into the clear No. 1 choice for the Titans, a guy with an incredible arm and an incredible story.

Ward was a 0-star recruit out of a Wing-T offense. His college career began at Incarnate Word, then went to Washington State before Miami.

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Some analysts have compared Ward to Patrick Mahomes because of his ability to move and make strong, off-platform throws.

If you were watching the draft on ESPN, you got none of that.

Instead, you got to hear Kiper compare Sanders to Tom Brady multiple times.

MORE: 3 bold predictions for Shedeur Sanders' rookie NFL season

This isn't even meant to be a criticism of Kiper, who is happy to be strong in his beliefs.

It's just a weird quirk of the whole thing. Usually the first QB becomes the one with the biggest hype.

MORE: How Mel Kiper Jr.'s draft rankings of the past bode poorly for Shedeur

Instead, the most talked about story of the preseason will be a quarterback who wasn't even his own team's first QB taken on Saturday.

That won't be easy for anyone involved, and so the Browns will at least be hoping they can salvage this by Sanders proving their belief in him right.

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