Shedeur Sanders felt like a top-five pick at the beginning of the offseason. Now, just a day before the NFL Draft, there feels like a decent chance he ends up falling to the Steelers with the 21st overall selection. There are a lot of things to like about Sanders’ game. While the Steelers are still waiting on Aaron Rodgers to make a decision, they could take a massive step in securing the quarterback position for the future by selecting Sanders.
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick has mentioned several times before that he considers Deion Sanders, Shedeur’s father, a mentor. As such, he knows Shedeur well. On ESPN’s SportsCenter last Thursday, he spoke about some of the things he likes about Sanders’ game.
“Well, Shedeur does a lot of things I wish I could have done,” Vick said. “Especially throwing the football. His accuracy, his touch, his ability to find the open man is uncanny. His confidence is there, his leadership is there.”
The main concerns with Sanders’ game revolve around his pocket presence and his lack of arm strength. However, these are things that can be worked on or around at the NFL level.
It’s hard to blame Sanders for his lack of pocket presence. At Colorado, he played behind extremely poor offensive lines in both 2023 and 2024. As a result, he tends to drift in the pocket. He also has a hard time sensing where pressure is coming from. Sometimes, Sanders bails from the pocket even when his line does its job. With Pittsburgh, he’d be behind a line with much more promise. Aside from that, good coaching can help him eliminate that worry from his game as well.
While he doesn’t have the strongest arm or throw with a ton of velocity, Shedeur Sanders is an accurate passer. He can put the ball on a dime, keep it out of harm’s way, and rarely endanger his receivers.
However, some in the NFL worry about his potential baggage. Although those concerns may be baseless, they’re causing him to slip down some draft boards.
Vick claims he’s spoken with Shedeur Sanders about the draft process. He knows that even if Sanders slides on draft day, he might be heading to a better supporting cast anyway.
“We have had conversations in the last couple of weeks, and you know, obviously everybody feels like they should be positioned, might not like where they might be drafted,” Vick said. “But at the end of the day, we find positives in it. And if it’s a little bit later, you’re gonna have a better supporting cast, so that was my advice for Shedeur. And if he goes to the Saints, it’s gonna be some pieces around him, wherever he goes, if he goes to Pittsburgh.”
There certainly would be pieces around him in Pittsburgh. DK Metcalf and George Pickens, who seems likely to remain with the Steelers for the 2025 season, are an excellent receiving duo for any rookie QB. He’d also have the aforementioned promising offensive line in front of him. All in all, he could be an excellent fit in Arthur Smith’s offense.
Whether Shedeur Sanders even makes it to the Steelers is unclear. If he does, there are far worse things Pittsburgh can do with their first-round pick.
