Leading up to the 21st pick in the 2025 NFL Draft Thursday night, the belief was the Pittsburgh Steelers would go in one of two directions: either selecting Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders to take a big swing at the QB position or landing Oregon DL Derrick Harmon and building through the trenches.
Ultimately, the Steelers focused on the big men up front. They drafted Harmon to join Cameron Heyward and Keeanu Benton along the defensive line, rebuilding that position group in a major way.
For former NFL defensive end Chris Long, who knows a thing or two about games being won or lost in the trenches, the pick makes a great deal of sense for the Steelers. But passing on Sanders or even Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart leaves the Steelers with significant questions at quarterback.
“They went with Derrick Harmon to replace Cam Heyward with, eventually. Steelers are gonna win a lot of 9-6 football games. Just like they like it,” Long said, according to video via the Green Light Podcast on YouTube. “Not sure who’s gonna play quarterback. It could be Aaron Rodgers. Maybe this is where you say, ‘Hey, fuck it, we make it happen. The quarterback thing didn’t shake out the way we wanted it to shake out.’ I don’t know what would’ve happened that maybe they would’ve picked a quarterback at 21, but I doubt it would’ve been anything because Shedeur and Jaxson Dart were sitting right there.
“That’s who was probably gonna be there. It seems like maybe this was part of their plan all along, which makes me wonder why, if [Aaron] Rodgers was the answer, like, why they haven’t done it yet. So I’m not sure what they’re doing at quarterback this year, like the rest of America.”
Harmon makes a great deal of sense for the Steelers. Defensive line was a significant need, especially after the Baltimore Ravens ran for 299 yards against the Steelers in the Wild Card round, resulting in an ugly ending to their season. Run stoppers and disruptors in the trenches defensively was a point of emphasis, and the Steelers got one of the best ones in the draft.
That they did so while passing on a QB has many up in arms, though, especially as the Steelers find themselves waiting around for a decision from 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers. It’s a tough spot to be in, but the Steelers are building through the trenches — and getting good to great players in the process — rather than reaching on a position where they might not have much conviction on a guy.
Still, passing on Sanders and Dart has Long questioning what the Steelers are going to do this season at QB.
“What rabbit do they have in their hat? Is it just Rodgers?” Long said.
It might be just Rodgers and a Day 3 pick at the position. Someone like Syracuse’s Kyle McCord or Ohio State’s Will Howard each makes sense on Day 2 or Day 3, depending on how the board breaks.
The Steelers did reportedly ask Rodgers for a decision before the draft, so time will tell what it is. Seems like he’ll be the guy for 2025 at least, though.
Check out the full episode of the Green Light Podcast below with Long.
