The 2025 NFL Draft will be here soon, and some Pittsburgh Steelers fans might be nervous about what their favorite team will do. It sounds like many analysts expect Shedeur Sanders to be their first-round pick. However, there’s no guarantee that he’ll fall to them. Quarterbacks tend to come at a premium in the draft. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, a Steelers fan, seems to be doing everything he can to will Sanders to Pittsburgh, including turning to a higher power.
“Heavenly Father, I am blessed, and I thank you for all of the blessings you have placed down upon me, but I ask for one more,” Smith said Thursday on ESPN’s First Take. “I ask for you to let Shedeur Sanders get to the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don’t care how it happens. We desperately need a quarterback, more than you ever could possibly fathom.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers need a quarterback. For Mike Tomlin to have Shedeur Sanders, for DK Metcalf and George Pickens and [Pat] Freiermuth to have Shedeur Sanders, at least you have a quarterback that you know you want for the future. That’s what I wish, that’s what I’m praying for.”
Some Steelers fans are probably doing the same as Smith and hoping that Sanders fall to the 21st pick. Quarterback is their biggest need. While Mason Rudolph is a fine backup, Pittsburgh probably isn’t winning the Super Bowl with him. The Steelers need a long-term answer under center. Sanders isn’t a perfect prospect, but he could provide some hope for the fan base.
However, there are likely other fans who are begging for the opposite outcome. Like most of the quarterbacks in this class, Sanders is a divisive prospect. That position isn’t a strength of this draft. Some fans might still be gun-shy from when the Steelers took Kenny Pickett.
Sanders isn’t Pickett, though. Just because this is a weaker quarterback class doesn’t mean some of these players can’t become quality starters. At this point, the Steelers might not have many options better than Sanders.
Soon, we’ll see if Smith’s prayer worked. Like the old saying goes, though, be careful what you wish for. The Steelers have other needs besides quarterback. Fans might recall how Pittsburgh’s run defense got gashed by the Baltimore Ravens twice last year. Drafting Sanders won’t fix that problem. The Steelers will still have work to do to round out their roster.
