The hot topic for the Pittsburgh Steelers heading into the 2025 NFL Draft is whether or not they will select Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders in the first round if he’s available at the No. 21 overall pick. While draft analyst Todd McShay said he believes the chances are higher than 50% that the Steelers take Sanders, NFL Media’s Daniel Jeremiah doesn’t agree even though he mocked Sanders to the Steelers in his final mock draft.
“I think there’s a legitimate chance that he could fall out of the first round,” Jeremiah said Thursday while appearing on Schein On Sports on Mad Dog Radio on SiriusXM. “I think Pittsburgh’s the last stop for him. That’s where I put him in the mock draft, but I would tell you that my confidence level on that happening is at or below 50%”
The landing spots for Sanders appear to be the Giants at No. 3, the Saints at No. 9 (although that seems highly unlikely given recent reporting that the Saints won’t take a quarterback), the Steelers at No. 21, or a team that trades up to take him, potentially ahead of Pittsburgh. But given that this quarterback class isn’t considered strong and there aren’t a lot of QB-needy teams, there’s a real chance Sanders slides out of the first round.
It didn’t seem all that likely he would make it to Pittsburgh even a month ago, but it’s now almost expected that Sanders will be available for the Steelers at No. 21. The question is whether the team will take him over a defensive lineman or another position of need. While the Steelers don’t have a long-term solution at quarterback, they are still seemingly hopeful that they’ll land free agent QB Aaron Rodgers, and they may look to address another position in the first round.
The Steelers hosted Shedeur Sanders for a pre-draft visit, sent scout Kelvin Fisher to Colorado’s NFL showcase and Mike Tomlin spoke positively of Sanders during the team’s pre-draft press conference earlier this week. The demonstrated interest the team has shown definitely makes it a possibility that Sanders is the selection at No. 21 overall, although Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is adamant that Pittsburgh won’t take a first round quarterback.
Jeremiah is one of the most plugged-in draft analysts, so for him to say the odds are 50% or less is notable. Sanders’ potential landing spot will be a storyline that dominates the first night of the draft, and if he’s on the board at No. 21, there will be a lot of drama to see if the Steelers take him or pass on him, potentially sending him into the second round.
