In Pittsburgh, there are three draft day decision-makers. Mike Tomlin, Omar Khan, and Art Rooney II while support staff like OC Arthur Smith can weigh in and share their thoughts. Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders apparently has at least two people in his corner. Whether or not everyone gets onboard remains to be seen. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is confident Tomlin and Smith are sold on Sanders. Rooney’s feelings are unknown.
“I think the owner has to be on board,” Schefter said Wednesday on ESPN’s Get Up. “We don’t know what Art Rooney thinks about this particular selection, which is why it’s hard to forecast exactly how it’s going to go in Pittsburgh. I would say that Mike Tomlin absolutely is a Shedeur Sanders fan. He’s got support there. Arthur Smith is a Shedeur Sanders fan. People like him there. The question is, is the owner gonna sign off?”
In rare pre-draft comments about a prospect, Tomlin praised Sanders and detailed the team’s visit with him earlier this month. Tomlin seemed to push back on narratives against Sanders, a polarizing and candid prospect who has reportedly turned some NFL personnel off with his personality. But Tomlin vouched for him, lauding his toughness and intangibles.
NFL insiders like FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz have connected Sanders and Smith, believing they are a perfect pairing. Sanders has enough mobility to run Smith’s offense that often moves the quarterback’s launch point with bootlegs and rollouts.
Still, if Rooney isn’t on board, Sanders is doubtful to be the pick. Schefter doesn’t indicate any reason to believe Rooney wouldn’t want Sanders and if Tomlin and Smith are sold on him, it stands to reason Rooney either is too or can be convinced.
Perhaps the issue would be less about Sanders and more about Rooney’s desire to see other areas of the team addressed. Quarterback should trump all but an old-school mentality like Rooney’s focused on building up the trenches could compel Pittsburgh to address its defensive line, a deep class with a slew of prospects the Steelers have done their homework on.
Should Pittsburgh ultimately pass on Sanders for Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, or anyone else, Rooney might be the reason for that. Depending on your personal opinion of Sanders, some love him and some hate him, that’ll either be a good or bad thing.
