The first round of the NFL draft is tonight, and Shedeur Sanders is one of the most interesting names to monitor. Recent rumors seem split on whether or not he’ll end up with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They look like the most logical landing spot for him. However, CBS Sports insider Jonathan Jones believes Sanders could find himself falling out of the first round entirely.
“I think that there is a very good chance that he is not selected on Thursday night,” Jones said Thursday on CBS Sports HQ. “I think the logical place he goes is 21 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. But if he doesn’t, and a team does not trade up for him back into the first round of the draft, he will be waiting to hear his name called until Friday.”
That would certainly be an interesting scenario to watch play out. A few weeks ago, the question was if Sanders would fall to the Steelers’ pick. Now, according to Jones, he could not even go in Round 1. It just goes to show how quickly things can change in the draft.
The Steelers’ biggest need is at quarterback. Right now, Mason Rudolph is penciled in as their starter. That doesn’t give Pittsburgh a very high ceiling, for now or the future. While this quarterback class looks weak, Sanders isn’t Kenny Pickett. There are things to like about his game, like his processing and accuracy. He could become a capable starter one day.
However, Sanders does seem to lack one elite trait. That might be what causes him to fall out of the first round. Some teams might not think he’ll translate well to the NFL. There aren’t a ton of quarterback-needy teams left, too. After the Steelers, it’s tough to find a home for Sanders near the end of Round 1.
Like Jones says, a team could always move up from the second round to stop Sanders’ potential slide. His reporting does make it seem like it’s not guaranteed that the Steelers will take Sanders. It wouldn’t be totally shocking if they pass on him. Pittsburgh has other major needs at positions like defensive line and running back. They could opt to spend their first-round pick somewhere other than quarterback.
Sanders might be tempting, but the Steelers might not be ready to pull the trigger on a signal caller in a weak class again. That didn’t work out for them with Pickett. They could also be comfortable waiting for Aaron Rodgers. While they have a pressing need under center, nothing is set in stone in the draft until it’s over.
