As we get closer to the 2025 NFL Draft next Thursday, there are going to be a ton of storylines to follow. One of those has to deal with the quarterbacks, and when they might start to come off the board. It’s possible we could see two of them taken in the top five. Just as likely, they could slide down the board in the first round. Teams like the Giants, Browns, and Saints all could draft a QB on Thursday.
Seeing the QBs slide would be a welcome development for the Steelers. They sit in the back half of the round at the 21st overall pick. However, if a quarterback starts making his way toward that pick, Pittsburgh could have some competition from other teams trying to trade up. One of those teams could be the Giants, according to ESPN Giants reporter Jordan Raanan.
“Absolutely, that fifth-year option is something that’s coveted by teams, particularly for quarterbacks, when you move into the back half of the first-round,” Raanan said Tuesday on Unsportsmanlike. “Also, there’s other teams, remember, who are looking for quarterbacks. So they [Giants] have to keep those in consideration, right? I absolutely think these teams are gonna be looking at the bottom half of Round 1 to move back in, and the Giants are gonna be among them.”
The fifth-year option Raanan is referring to is something that can only be used on players selected in the first round. Every other draft pick starts their career on a four-year deal. That extra year of security is important to teams. A team like the Giants might feel safer drafting a QB somewhere like 25th overall, rather than one of the first picks in the second round.
For the Steelers, this is another thing they have to juggle on draft night. If Shedeur Sanders makes it past the New Orleans Saints at ninth overall, the Steelers look like the next-best destination. However, that’s something the rest of the league is aware of as well. It wouldn’t be surprising to see teams try to jump Pittsburgh for a QB.
Or, if the Steelers really fall in love with one of them, they could trade up for a QB. With so much room between them and the Saints, they might have to. If they’re sure about their guy, they’ll have to be proactive to land him.
Maybe Pittsburgh fancies itself a defensive lineman anyway, and none of this matters. The Steelers have met with essentially all of the top QBs in the class. Still, they might prefer to take one later and allow teams to make desperate moves to get ahead of them on draft night. If they do want a QB in the first round, though, they’ll have to prepare for other teams trying to sneak back ahead of them.
