The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to be heavily connected to a quarterback in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. That’s due in large part to the visits they’ve conducted and the interest they’ve shown in the position during the pre-draft process, as well as taking into account the need at the position as well.
Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is the latest quarterback to be generating buzz in regard to the Steelers, and if the big-name passer who is the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders falls past the New Orleans Saints at No. 9 in the 2025 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Dan Graziano says that the Steelers should be viewed as the team to “potentially move up” to land the signal caller.
Appearing on SportsCenter Monday morning, Graziano stated that the focus on the quarterback position really starts at No. 9 with the Saints following the latest Derek Carr news that he could miss the entire 2025 season with a shoulder injury, putting them in prime position to draft a quarterback.
If the Saints don’t go with Sanders though, Graziano is watching out for the Steelers.
“”Fact of the matter is, if the Saints like Shedeur Sanders enough to take him at nine, they might have been thinking that way anyway with Carr only under contract for one more year. But it does lead an air of intrigue to this 10 days ahead of time. If Shedeur Sanders does not go at nine, if he’s still available at 10 or in the teens, watch out for the Pittsburgh Steelers at 21 for potential to move up,” Graziano said, according to video via ESPN. “They had him in for a visit late last week. They’re still waiting on an answer from Aaron Rodgers to whom they’ve had an offer out for some time.
“But they know that Aaron Rogers is not gonna be the long-term answer at quarterback, even if he does sign there. So the Steelers could be in the mix for a quarterback at 21. Remember they don’t have a second-round pick.”
If Sanders does slide past the Saints, there will be plenty of intrigue regarding a possible move up from the Steelers. They have done their due diligence on Sanders, hosting him last week for a pre-draft visit, a visit that the star quarterback raved about.
The problem is, the Steelers don’t have a second-round pick to offer in a potential move up and trading more picks within the same draft just to land a quarterback who will probably sit the entire 2025 season if Aaron Rodgers signs doesn’t seem like the greatest idea.
That said, there is no more important position in sports than quarterback, and the Steelers have to figure it out long-term. Sanders, based on everything we know right now, would be a tremendous step toward the Steelers figuring it out long-term.
Steelers GM Omar Khan has shown the ability and the willingness to move around on draft day, too, moving up and moving down to land draft targets, recoup picks, and more. In this scenario with Sanders possibly falling, Khan would be able to find a way to move around the board if they deem him worthy of going and getting.
It could all be for naught though if the Saints select Sanders at No. 9. That would leave the Steelers sitting tight at No. 21 and going from there. But if Sanders gets past the Saints, like Graziano said, all bets are off. Watch out for the Steelers.
