Two faces very familiar to N.F.L. draft viewers will not attend this year’s event.
Mel Kiper Jr., the longtime ESPN draft analyst, said earlier this month that he will not travel to Las Vegas because he is unvaccinated against the coronavirus. Instead, he will broadcast live from his home studio in Maryland. Kiper has appeared on ESPN’s draft coverage since 1984.
“I completely support everyone determining what’s best for their individual circumstance and recognize the value of vaccines,” he wrote. “Simply put, my Covid vaccination decision is very specific to my own personal medical history.”
Kirk Herbstreit, who has commented on college football for ESPN since 1996, will not participate in draft coverage as he treats a blood clot. “I feel good, but out of an abundance of caution I’m just going to take a step back from this year’s draft coverage,” he said in a video posted to Twitter.
“I love the draft, I love watching the players, their stories, the coverage of it, watching the families, the emotions that come with it, I’m just sad I will not be able to be out there,” he continued. “I will be watching like everybody else.”
