The 2025 NFL Draft is finally upon us, and boy do the Pittsburgh Steelers have some options. One of them who’s become a hot topic this week is Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.
Sanders has seen his draft stock slip in recent weeks, which has put him directly on the Steelers’ radar. Former NFL QB Dan Orlovsky predicts Sanders to land with the Steelers in the first round on Thursday night.
“Everything that you hear is that there are people in that building that are very important decision-makers that really like Shedeur, so I do think he goes 21.” Orlovsky said Thursday on ESPN’s First Take.
Looking at the way the draft is expected to shake out, there seems to be a good chance this comes to fruition. The Browns and Giants pick second and third overall. Right now, Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter feel like the most-likely scenarios for those respective teams. The Raiders at sixth overall seemed like a destination for Sanders, until they extended Geno Smith through 2027. Reports also suggest the Saints may pass on Shedeur Sanders at ninth overall, despite Derek Carr’s shoulder injury.
After New Orleans, there isn’t another realistic spot until the Steelers. At that point, the Steelers’ only risk would be a team trading up ahead of them. And that is a decent risk. There’s a lot of room from No. 9 to No. 21, and a lot of teams in there could convince themselves that trading back is a good idea. On Thursday morning, it was reported that the Broncos, who sit one spot ahead of the Steelers, have received calls from teams looking to move up.
The Steelers feel like the favorite for Shedeur Sanders right now. Considering that, there’s a chance those teams could be eyeing Sanders at that pick. Either way, it’s an example of the difficult decisions the Steelers are going to have on their plate Thursday.
Whether Pittsburgh even decides on a QB in the first round remains up in the air. As Orlovsky alludes to, Mike Tomlin and Arthur Smith reportedly are fond of Sanders. Yet, the interior defensive line needs helps. Pittsburgh could also add a running back, with TreVeyon Henderson gaining some last-moment steam.
It’s peak smokescreen season. With all of that said, some of those rumors could definitely be false. Based on all that information, though, it’s hard to count out the Steelers taking Shedeur Sanders at No. 21, if he’s still on the board.
