The Pittsburgh Steelers are reaching the final hours before they must decide whether or not to re-sign Russell Wilson or Justin Fields. But even if the Steelers re-sign one of those signal callers, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Pittsburgh also targets a quarterback in the NFL Draft. That could be especially true if Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders is available at No. 21 overall.
In his latest NFL mock draft on March 4, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler predicted that to be the case. And with Sanders still on the board, Brugler projected the Steelers to select Sanders at No. 21 overall.
“Sanders is going to be a wild card in this draft. He could go in the top six or fall out of the first round entirely — and neither outcome would be a shock,” wrote Brugler.
“He is not a first-round quarterback for a lot of NFL teams, which isn’t a major surprise (and matches my evaluation). But all it takes is one front office to roll the dice on his skill set. If Sanders falls out of the top 10, this would be an interesting landing spot. The Steelers are searching for answers at the QB position.”
Sanders is growing into one of the more polarizing draft prospects in the 2025 class. Early in the NFL offseason, a lot of draft evaluators projected Sanders to be a top five pick.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah ranked Sanders as high as No. 11 on his overall big board this offseason.
But other evaluators, as Brugler indicated, don’t consider Sanders one of the best 32 prospects in 2025. He also may have rubbed some reporters and NFL organizations the wrong way during his NFL combine press conference.
Could Steelers Draft QB Shedeur Sanders at No. 21 Overall?
If the Steelers target Sanders at No. 21 overall, it would be eerily similar to when the Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett three years ago.
The second-best quarterback doesn’t usually remain on the draft board until the No. 20 pick. But Pickett was the first signal caller taken at No. 20 overall in 2022 because the NFL considered it a weak quarterback draft class.
Pundits have billed the 2025 quarterback class similarly weak. Miami’s Cam Ward could go first overall. But recently, Sanders has been falling on draft boards even though he remains at No. 2-best quarterback.
ESPN’s big board ranked Sanders the No. 34 overall prospect.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein used the hated “game manager” label to describe Sanders’ potential.
“The tape says he has the necessary qualities to become a solid game manager if he can operate with better discipline and play to his strengths,” wrote Zierlein.
SI.com’s Albert Breer delivered a similar evaluation of Sanders while appearing on FOX Sports’ The Herd on Feb. 26.
“He’s not a great athlete. He doesn’t have a big arm,” Breer told FS1’s Colin Cowherd. Where is the super power that’s going to make you want to take him in the top 5?”
That doesn’t necessarily mean Breer has Sanders falling to No. 21. But if Sanders lasts on the board that long, it will likely be due to concerns with his upside.
Pundits possessed the same concerns with Pickett. He won games and avoided turnovers in two seasons with the Steelers. But Pickett didn’t excel as a playmaker.
Other evaluators remain high on Sanders. Jeremiah had Sanders ranked at No. 15 on his most recent big board.
“Sanders doesn’t have elite size, arm strength or athleticism, but he can find success in an offense based on timing and ball placement,” wrote Jeremiah.
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