We’re now just hours away from the Pittsburgh Steelers going on the clock with the 21st overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. There are several options they can entertain at that spot, but one that’s been the most polarizing of all is Shedeur Sanders. People seem to either love him or hate him. No matter how you feel about him, it seems like he’ll be on the board at the 21st pick.
ESPN’s Mina Kimes thinks the Steelers should scoop Sanders up if he is.
“It actually would be a great situation for him,” Kimes said Thursday on First Take. “As we saw, Pittsburgh is a playoff team obviously. They are the closest the quarterback-away team. They have issues on the offensive line, but I think they’re trending in the right direction, particularly on the interior. You got a good group of pass catchers. I view that marriage as making a lot of sense, certainly a lot more sense than anything else I imagine Pittsburgh would do at that point.”
In terms of their other options, there’s two areas on the roster the Steelers could improve most. First and foremost would be the defensive line. If the Steelers pass on Sanders, it’s likely going to be a defensive lineman they take instead. Some players who could fit them are Derrick Harmon or Kenneth Grant. Walter Nolen is a possibility too, although he seems less likely than the former two.
Running back would be next on the list. Behind DL and QB though, it feels like a comfortable third place. The only two running backs who can be confidently said are going in the first round are Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton. Jeanty will certainly be gone when the Steelers go on the clock. Hampton could be available, but he’d have to get past the Broncos at No. 20. TreVeyon Henderson’s seeing a late rise in his draft stock, but Pittsburgh can probably trade back and get him later in the first round.
At the end of the day, the Steelers are going to have to draft a QB at some point. They can’t keep running it back with a different 35+ year old veteran every year. The only place that’s gotten them is another Wild Card loss, and an increasingly uncomfortable wait on Aaron Rodgers.
Sanders represents an actual plan at the position. It’s not hard to understand why Kimes feels like he makes the most sense for Pittsburgh.
