Going into the 2025 NFL Draft, quarterback was a big target for the Pittsburgh Steelers. They showed a lot of interest in most of the top quarterbacks in the class. They ended up selecting Ohio State’s Will Howard in the sixth round. That might not have been the splash some fans wanted at the position. Some might’ve wanted them to target Shedeur Sanders. However, the Steelers passed on him, even on Day 3. Because of that, analyst Gregg Rosenthal is labeling Pittsburgh as a loser of the draft.
“I actually would put the Steelers as a little bit of a loser here,” Rosenthal said Monday on his NFL Daily podcast. “I know the idea that you wouldn’t want the distraction of it all. And I know the quarterback room of Aaron Rodgers and Shedeur Sanders doesn’t make that much sense. I don’t believe that Shedeur Sanders is some exceptional talent that warranted all this attention.
“His last name and everything that comes with him and everything that he did to help change college football the last four years is why he got so much attention. That said, they need a quarterback. I think you should be taking swings every single time. They end up with Will Howard in the sixth round. But to me, Sanders graded out as a better prospect, was worth taking a shot on just to see, even if it’s for a year or two.”
It’s fair to say the Steelers need to do more at quarterback. At the moment, that’s still arguably their biggest weakness. Howard, Mason Rudolph, and Skylar Thompson likely don’t give the Steelers a high floor or ceiling.
The Steelers seem confident that they’ll eventually land Aaron Rodgers. However, that’s not guaranteed. What happens if Rodgers retires? There aren’t many other options available. The Steelers could’ve found some insurance in the draft.
However, it’s tough to really criticize them for passing on Sanders. They weren’t the only team that did that as Sanders wasn’t drafted until the fifth round. The NFL clearly didn’t have a high opinion of him as a player. Whether that’s right or wrong remains to be seen.
Passing on Sanders shouldn’t take away from the other things the Steelers did in the draft, either. They showed a dedication to fixing their run defense by selecting Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black. They found a running back to replace Najee Harris. The Steelers also added depth at other positions like edge rusher and linebacker.
For what they needed, the Steelers had a decent draft. They added talented prospects at positions of serious need. Maybe they will regret passing on Sanders. However, they did take a swing at quarterback in Howard. While a sixth-round pick is more of a lottery ticket than a legitimate starter, they still took a quarterback.
Sanders’ fall in the draft was surprising. There are things to like about him as a player, and he was getting first-round buzz for most of the pre-draft process. The reality is that he didn’t go until the fifth round. It’s probably a little early to knock the Steelers for passing up on a fifth-round player when they acquired several other talented players.
