The Pittsburgh Steelers have increasingly become a potential landing spot for Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, with a growing thought that he could fall to Pittsburgh’s first-round pick at No. 21 overall. With Pittsburgh hosting Sanders for a pre-draft visit and the team’s need at quarterback, SI’s Albert Breer reported on Monday in his most recent MMQB that there’s a “growing acceptance” in Pittsburgh’s building to taking Sanders.
“I don’t think there’s an overwhelming consensus in the building to pick the Colorado star, but perhaps a growing acceptance of the idea,” Breer wrote.
Mike Tomlin is reportedly a fan of the idea of selecting Sanders, and it would give the Steelers a long-term solution at the quarterback position. It’s understandable that there might not be a consensus on the idea given some of the Steelers’ other needs. Defensive line stands out as one of their biggest, and the prevailing thought over the last few weeks was that it would be the position Pittsburgh addresses in the first round.
However, the team only brought in one first-round caliber defensive lineman for a visit in Oregon’s Derrick Harmon despite not addressing the position in a meaningful way during free agency. With the uncertainty surrounding free agent QB Aaron Rodgers, the idea of taking Sanders has become more prevalent.
There are conflicting reports on what the Steelers will do if they have their choice of Sanders or a top defensive lineman. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the team likes Sanders, but won’t take him over a top defensive lineman if both are available. Meanwhile, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor believes Sanders will be the team’s choice if he’s on the board, and we won’t know what the team decides until Thursday night if that scenario comes into play.
Of course, for that to be an option, Sanders would have to fall to 21. The New York Giants at No. 3 loom as a threat, and while a little bit less likely, the New Orleans Saints could also take a quarterback at No. 9 overall. Those two teams represent potential roadblocks to the Steelers drafting Sanders, as do any teams that look to trade up ahead of Pittsburgh for a quarterback.
But if Sanders is on the board at No. 21, it doesn’t sound like there’s going to be much resistance from inside the Steelers’ draft room to select the quarterback who could give the team a potential franchise option after multiple years of completely turning over its quarterback room.
