As the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to gather information on the 2025 NFL Draft class, it is seeming more and more likely that they will select one next month. How high would they be willing to go? That may depend on when and if Aaron Rodgers signs with the team and who is available by the time they make their first pick at No. 21 overall. There’s been a lot of buzz about the Steelers and Shedeur Sanders in recent days around the media.
He seems to be the consensus No. 2 QB in the draft class, but that doesn’t automatically make him a top-ten selection in an overall weak class at the position. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler gave the latest on Sanders via SportsCenter with the draft just under four weeks away.
“From what I’m hearing, the Browns at two, the Giants at three have Shedeur Sanders at least in consideration in the mix though the Browns seem to be leaning pass rusher Abdul Carter at this point. But the tricky part with Sanders is where he falls,” Fowler said.
If the Browns are leaning towards Carter, I think it’s fair to wonder whether the Giants would pull the trigger on Sanders at No. 3. They signed Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson. They are of course going to be looking for a long-term solution, but they aren’t in complete desperation mode to be forced to reach if they don’t love the prospect.
From the sound of it, not everybody loves Sanders as a prospect.
“I’ve texted with a half dozen high-level personnel people that I trust asking is Shedeur Sander a first-round talent? Do you have a first-round grade on him? Four of those people said no. Two of those people said that he’s more of a mid-to-late first-round pick in their eyes,” Fowler said. “So we know quarterbacks get pushed up, get overdrafted, but to go in the top three at this point in the minds of many around the league would be pretty rich.”
Who would stop the fall if not the Browns or the Giants? The Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6 could make sense if they view Geno Smith as a short-term solution and want to develop Sanders behind him. The New Orleans Saints at No. 9 have been doing their homework on quarterbacks and could also be in the mix. The Colts at No. 14 seem less likely with Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones on the roster, but if they really love Sanders and he falls then I don’t see why they wouldn’t.
If he slides past some or all of those options, there is also the possibility of a team trading up to get him. It only takes one team to see something special in him to take Sanders off the board. In the end, teams are going to disagree on their evaluations of players.
“Certainly he’s expected to go in the first round somewhere pretty high, but not a slam dunk in the top three based on the way that teams see him around the league.”
I don’t love the idea of the Steelers trading up to get Sanders like some media analysts have floated lately, but if they can stay put at No. 21 and let him fall into their lap? I would at least think about it at that point.
