Opinions on Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders couldn’t be more varied as we enter Draft week. He was once viewed as a No. 1 overall pick, then a top-five shoo-in, then maybe a top 10, and now some are saying he might slide right out of the first round. It’s anyone’s guess where he’ll land — and everyone is guessing.
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Louis Riddick and others recently reported that Sanders could very well land with the New Orleans Saints at No. 9 overall after it was revealed that their QB, Derek Carr, is dealing with a potentially season-impacting shoulder injury for 2025. Not long after, reports surfaced about the New York Giants’ growing interest in Sanders. Now, draft experts are eyeing the Pittsburgh Steelers as a possible landing spot at No. 21 overall.
The Steelers are one of maybe two teams that still don’t have a clear answer at quarterback for 2025, so they make a lot of sense in that respect. It’s just a matter of whether Shedeur will actually fall far enough for the team to nab him. Well, Rich Eisen sure seems optimistic, as he believes Sanders in the Steel City is becoming a real possibility with just three days to go until the draft.
Eisen’s co-host, Chris Brockman, felt that Sanders would end up being selected by a team without a glaring hole at quarterback. That way, Sanders would have the chance to sit back and learn from the veterans. Eisen agreed wholeheartedly, adding,
“That would mean he gets drafted by a team in the 20s. He gets drafted late first round. I mean, the Rams could be that team. I’ve [also] heard Tomlin really likes him.”
Eisen and Brockman then discussed how Sanders landing with a team like the Steelers, who have a bona fide and proven head coach in Mike Tomlin, could help reduce the media noise. They believe that if Shedeur ends up with a team that has an unproven coach, rumors about the QB’s father, Deion Sanders, potentially taking over as coach might surface.
Sanders would land in a win-now environment in Pittsburgh too. They’ve heavily retooled their once-abysmal offensive line, drafting four linemen in the first four rounds over the last two drafts. They also acquired D.K. Metcalf to pair with George Pickens at wide receiver and are expected to grab a running back from this deep draft class to pair with Jaylen Warren. It’s not the worst situation for a developing rookie QB.
That said, Eisen and Brockman weren’t the only ones suggesting the Steelers could target a QB early in the draft. NFL Draft legend Mel Kiper has recently been warming up to the same idea.
While Kiper still believes a defensive tackle would be the smartest move — especially considering the strength of the QB position in the AFC North — he can see the Steelers making a push for a quarterback if the Aaron Rodgers situation isn’t resolved by draft day.
“They’ve gotta figure out quarterback. And I understand Shedeur is there, it’s gonna be really interesting, because you don’t wanna let everyone know what you’re thinking. … If you like a guy, don’t mention it to anybody, don’t let anything out of your building. So we really don’t know what Pittsburgh’s gonna do. I will say this, if they didn’t take Shedeur and he were there, it would be a pretty big surprise.”
If we don’t have an answer from Rodgers…
It sounds like Mel Kiper talked himself into the Steelers drafting a QB. 😂@heykayadams | @MelKiperESPN pic.twitter.com/EetgaxN1uf
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) April 21, 2025
Most would agree with Kiper that the Steelers would be hard-pressed to pass on Shedeur Sanders if he did fall into their lap at No. 21. But without a second-rounder this year, it’s unlikely they have the ammo to trade up any higher if he doesn’t slip that far.
At this point, the Steelers are really living on a wing and a prayer when it comes to the QB position, which is not where you want to be. They have to either hope that Rodgers gives them a definitive answer before Thursday, or hope that Sanders falls to them at the No. 21 overall pick. If not, it’s Mason Rudolph season in Western PA.
