If there seemed to be a distinct attitude shift toward the Pittsburgh Steelers potentially drafting a quarterback in the first round, that’s because there was. According to Adam Schefter it wasn’t a part of their first-round plans until Shedeur Sanders started to look like a possibility at No. 21.
“Sources said the Steelers had not been planning to draft a quarterback in Round 1, but they also were not expecting Sanders to fall out of top 10,” Schefter wrote via his draft buzz file on ESPN. “Now, all options seem to be on the table, and they are preparing in case they have the option to draft Sanders.”
Sanders was viewed by many to be a top-five pick for the first couple months of the pre-draft process. Many thought he wouldn’t make it past the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants with the second and third pick. But once word started circulating about them potentially targeting Abdul Carter and Travis Hunter, speculation of Sanders sliding began.
It has seemed like with each passing day that the chances of Sanders falling to No. 21 have increased. Reports have suggested the Browns and Giants are likely to pass that early, and while the New Orleans Saints reportedly like Sanders, they don’t necessarily love him at No. 9 overall. There have also been rumblings of Jaxson Dart or even Tyler Shough being viewed as the best QB in the class after Cam Ward.
It feels like a 50-50 coin flip whether Sanders makes it to pick No. 21. If he does, the Steelers will be ready.
They hosted him for a pre-draft visit, which kicked the speculation into overdrive. Sanders told the media that his visit with the Steelers was a 10 (out of 10), and several reports have indicated that Mike Tomlin and the Steelers really like Sanders.
Schefter thinks the Steelers are more likely to consider trading down rather than up, so don’t expect a move up to acquire Sanders. But he sounds like a viable option if he makes it to No. 21.
“It almost might make their choice at No. 21 even more critical,” Schefter wrote about the Steelers’ lack of a second-round pick. “If they pass on a quarterback, they very well might not have another chance to get one until Round 3. It accentuates the pressure on this pick.”
For all the work the Steelers ended up doing on the quarterback class, several of the options they vetted throughout the pre-draft process will likely be off the board by No. 83 in the third round. Aaron Rodgers wouldn’t significantly change the QB calculus for the Steelers at 41 years old, but his indecision might raise the level of urgency by a little.
“In the eyes of some across the league, it now feels like Sanders could go as high as No. 3 to the Giants or as low as No. 21 to the Steelers,” Schefter wrote.
Giants GM Joe Schoen spoke about not having a mandate to draft a QB after signing Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. He also stressed that they would only select a quarterback if the value matches up with the pick they hold. The vast majority of analysts have Sanders as a late first-round pick, for what it’s worth.
Somebody, including the Giants or Browns, could also look to move up ahead of the Steelers. That’s the biggest wild card in this situation.
I am buying all the smoke on Shedeur Sanders falling, and I do believe he will be the Steelers’ pick if he does. I even included him in my final predictive mock draft yesterday to reflect that.
