While the consensus from draftniks and analysts is that the 2025 NFL Draft’s crop of quarterbacks is a weaker one, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan disagrees. During a pre-draft press conference alongside head coach Mike Tomlin, Khan said he believes that the 2025 quarterback class is a good one.
“I do. I think it’s a good quarterback [class]. I really do,” Khan said Tuesday via the team’s YouTube channel.
The Steelers are one team that could draft a quarterback in the first round, especially with recent buzz around Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders falling. The Steelers are expected to draft a quarterback regardless of whether it’s in the first round or middle rounds, and the team has done its homework on a handful of quarterbacks, including Sanders, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart and Syracuse’ Kyle McCord, all of whom came in for pre-draft visits.
Given Khan’s comments, it seems even more likely that Pittsburgh will draft a quarterback. With Sanders considered one of the better quarterbacks in the class, potentially No. 2 behind likely No. 1 selection Cam Ward, it could increase the odds that the team takes him if he is on the board on at No. 21 overall.
The middle-round options for the Steelers could be McCord, Texas QB Quinn Ewers, and Ohio State QB Will Howard, and with Khan thinking it’s a strong class, then he could also be willing to wait to take a developmental quarterback in the middle rounds. But with the Steelers’ need at quarterback and no clear answer from QB Aaron Rodgers, they could be motivated to take a quarterback in the first round who could be a potential franchise option.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Steelers do given their thoughts on the quarterback class. Khan reiterated later in the press conference that it’s a “talented class,” and while the team has needs along the defensive line and at running back, it does seem like quarterback could be rising up the board of positions the Steelers will take in the first round. While defensive line has long been thought to be the position the Steelers would target, if they feel this quarterback class is as strong as Omar Khan said and one of the top passers gets to them, it could be hard to pass up.
