When the Pittsburgh Steelers came onto the clock at No. 21 overall Thursday night in the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, there was plenty of speculation that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders would be the selection.
That ultimately wasn’t the case as the Steelers sat tight at their pick and landed Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, plugging a major hole in the trenches. But it wasn’t always that clear-cut.
According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the Steelers’ facility was split on Sanders, debating in the days leading up to the draft before ultimately taking Harmon, landing the guy they wanted all along.
“We know he had a good visit. We know he is now available. We do not know if the Steelers are gonna pick him. My understanding is as of yesterday, they were going back and forth,” Rapoport said of the Steelers’ selection right before they came on the clock, according to video via NFL Network. “Is the value worth that split in the room? We will see what decision they made.”
Leading up to the draft, the dots being connected with Sanders and the Steelers were seemingly real and the buzz was building to a crescendo. Especially after Sanders raved about his pre-draft visit with the Steelers, calling it “a 10.”
Even head coach Mike Tomlin spoke highly about the meeting with Sanders, raving about his toughness and leadership, suggesting that the Steelers would seriously consider Sanders. But Pittsburgh built through the trenches, landing a player who can help reshape the mentality and toughness of the Steelers moving forward in Harmon.
Throughout the pre-draft process, Harmon was the popular name. But in recent weeks leading up to the draft, Sanders appeared to be catching up as far as buzz. It wasn’t just a smokescreen either, as the room was reportedly split, as Rapoport stated.
The Steelers have a glaring need at quarterback as they await a decision from 41-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers. They have just Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson on the roster.
Ultimately though, the need to build through the trenches outweighed the need at quarterback between Harmon and Sanders for the Steelers. Since taking over as GM, Omar Khan — along with assistant GM Andy Weidl — has placed a significant emphasis on the big men up front in the trenches. The selection of Harmon fits that agenda for the Steelers.
We’ll see if the room remains split on another player or two later in the draft for the Black and Gold.
