A top QB prospect falls into Pittsburgh's lap in the latest mock draft.
After the dust settled on the first week of free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers were left with more questions than answers—none bigger than the quarterback position. Pittsburgh officially has their hat in the ring for a chance to land Aaron Rodgers, but the 41-year-old would be a one-year, stop-gap option if signed.
General Manager Omar Khan and Assistant GM Andy Weidl are wise enough to know that they can't steer the ship without a competent quarterback at the helm for the long term. Fortunately for the Steelers, there's a chance a franchise quarterback could fall into their lap.
In the latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft from FanSided's Mike Luciano, the Pittsburgh Steelers watch the chips fall as quarterback Shedeur Sanders slips to their selection at pick 21 in the first round. Khan has no problem pulling the trigger.
"With or without Aaron Rodgers in the mix, the Steelers need to plan for the future under center, Luciano writes. "Sanders brings some risk due to his poor pocket presence, but his sharp football brain and extreme accuracy, when kept clean, could give Mike Tomlin all he needs to name him Pittsburgh's next franchise quarterback."
The Pittsburgh Steelers roll the dice on quarterback Shedeur Sanders in 2025 NFL mock draft
We often talk about how important it is for teams to throw darts at a quarterback until they get one that sticks. In this mock, the Steelers don't have to resort to Jaxson Dart (pun intended); rather Shedeur Sanders is available and ready to roll.
Sanders helped turn a 1-11 Colorado Buffaloes team in 2022 into a 9-4 team by 2024. Of course, his father, Deion Sanders, and wide receiver-cornerback Travis Hunter had a lot to do with this as well. After a 27-touchdown, three-interception season in 2023 when Colorado was in the Pac-12, Sanders recorded 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns in 13 games in Colorado's first season as part of the Big 12 Conference.
Sanders checks most of the boxes the Steelers would look for in a high draft pick. Sanders was productive and raised the floor of his team around him. It doesn't hurt that he has Hall of Fame family bloodlines—something the Steelers clearly value.
By landing Sanders in this NFL mock draft, the Steelers pass on an opportunity to land a wide receiver like Ohio State wide receiver Emeka Egbuka or Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. If presented with the opportunity to land a potential franchise quarterback with the 21st overall pick, it's not hard to see a scenario where the Pittsburgh Steelers pull the trigger on Shedeur Sanders.
