The 2025 NFL draft has come and gone, but it didn't arrive without controversy. One of the draft's biggest stories was Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders' fall throughout the event, going from a presumed first-round pick to being taken 144th overall by the Cleveland Browns in Round 5.
The wait to hear Sanders' name called hit an unexpected twist on Friday night when the rookie signal-caller was streaming his experience. The 23-year-old QB received a prank call from someone pretending to be New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, claiming that Sanders would begin his NFL career in the Big Easy.
Even though Sanders was largely unbothered by the prank, fans around the country wondered how the situation could've unfolded. The NFL privately shared each prospect's contact information with all 32 teams, meaning the prank phone call could've only stemmed from a leak.
Well, it didn't take long to find the source of the prankster. Unfortunately, it turns out the suspect in question has direct ties to one of the Atlanta Falcons' newest coaches.
Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich's Son, Jax, Prank Called Shedeur Sanders During Draft
On Sunday afternoon, the Falcons released a statement confirming that defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich's son, Jax, was behind the prank calls to Sanders. The younger Ulbrich reportedly "unintentionally came across" Sanders' number on his father's iPad while visiting the family home, and decided to write it down for a future prank.
The Falcons claim that Coach Ulbrich "was unaware of the data exposure and any facets of the prank."
"The Atlanta Falcons do not condone this behavior and send our sincere apologies to Shedeur Sanders and his family, who have been in contact with to apologize to, as well as facilitate an apology directly from Jax to the Sanders family," the Falcons wrote, adding they'll "cooperate fully" with the NFL to help out any way they can.
#Falcons statement on the prank call made to Shedeur Sanders over the weekend. pic.twitter.com/WmOXsU5z4f
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 27, 2025
It's safe to say that the disastrous prank call wasn't the way Ulbrich wanted to begin his Falcons tenure. The 48-year-old defensive coordinator is fortunate that his son's prank didn't cause more harm, such as potentially costing him his coaching job before the 2025 campaign even begins.
As disappointing as the situation is, the Falcons' connection to the drama isn't surprising. After all, the pranksters made the bone-headed decision of live-streaming their failed attempt to be funny, and it didn't take long for internet sleuths to identify Ulbrich's son in the video.
Now that he's officially been outed as the main culprit of the prank, Jax took to Instagram to apologize to Sanders and his family for potentially spoiling their draft experience.
"Shedeur, what I did was completely inexcusable, embarrassing, and shameful," he wrote. "I'm so sorry I took away from your moment, it was selfish and childish. I could never imagine getting ready to celebrate one of the greatest moments of your life and I made a terrible mistake and messed with that moment."
"Thank you for accepting my call earlier today, I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
Hopefully, Ulbrich keeps his son far away from the Falcons to keep his return drama-free. The San Jose, CA native spent five seasons as Atlanta's linebackers coach (2015-19) before assuming assistant head coach and interim DC duties in 2020. He then spent five seasons with the Jets as their defensive coordinator and brief interim HC before returning to A-Town this spring.
The Falcons also need a drama-free offseason if they want to compete for a division title next season. For now, Atlanta currently holds the second-best NFC South odds (+230) on FanDuel Sportsbook, only trailing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+110).
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