Steelers Predicted to Make Big NFL Draft Splash Thursday

Analysts projected the Pittsburgh Steelers to make a big move in the quarterback market during NFL free agency. That never ended up happening, but the Steelers could make a big splash with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the first round of the NFL draft.

In a mock draft released Wednesday, ESPN’s Peter Schrager predicted that to happen. Schrager projected Sanders to land with the Steelers at No. 21 overall.

“I know Sanders had a good meeting in Pittsburgh when he visited a few weeks back. I also know the Steelers still don’t have a QB1 on their roster. This might be viewed as a ‘slip’ down the board for Sanders. He could go anywhere from No. 3 to the Giants to the second round,” wrote Schrager.

“Going to Pittsburgh here as the second quarterback in the class wouldn’t be so bad.”

The only quarterback Schrager had off the board in his mock draft before Sanders was Miami’s Cam Ward at No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans.

As the ESPN analyst explained, Sanders could land anywhere from No. 3 to the New York Giants to a team in the second round. But readers could see Schrager’s prediction with a little more credibility than most. That’s because Wednesday’s mock is the only one he has released the entire offseason.

Mixed Reports on Shedeur Sanders’ Steelers Visit

The biggest takeaway from Schrager’s Steelers analysis in his mock draft was his note about the team’s meeting with Sanders going well.

NFL draft analyst Todd McShay reported the visit was a very positive one too. McShay has also said multiple times this offseason that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin likes Sanders.

On April 16, NFL insider Aaron Wilson had a very different report. Wilson said on Chad Sports’ Texans Today that he heard Sanders’ visit to Pittsburgh “did not go well.” Wilson also added that Sanders will not be a Steelers draft selection.

While addressing Sanders’ visit to Pittsburgh on Tuesday, Tomlin seemed to indicate that Schrager and McShay are/were more accurate than Wilson.

“I’ve obviously known his father for a long time, [but] it was my first time meeting [Shedeur], and to be quite honest with you, we didn’t talk a whole lot about my relationship with his father,” Tomlin told reporters. “It was a normal pre-draft visit, to spend time with a young man, to talk ball, to get to know him as an individual, to get to see how he processes and sees the game and how he articulates his football experience.

“From that standpoint, it was a very normal visit and a very productive one.”

It’s important to note, though, Tomlin’s mastery with words. “Productive” implies that the visit helped the Steelers come to a final decision on whether or not to draft Sanders.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that the team’s final decision is to target the quarterback.

Mike Tomlin Addresses Sanders’ Intangibles Before NFL Draft

While there’s some ambiguity to the word “productive,” Tomlin didn’t leave all his answers on Sanders up to interpretation.

The Steelers head coach raved about Sanders’ intangible qualities while talking about the quarterback prospect Tuesday.

“There’s a toughness there that doesn’t get talked about enough,” Tomlin said to the media. “The intangible qualities displayed on tape were very impressive to me.”

Some Steelers pundits on social media noted Tuesday that Tomlin spoke about quarterback Kenny Pickett in a similar fashion three years ago. The Steelers drafted Pickett at No. 20 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Pittsburgh selected Pickett despite having just signed veteran quarterback Mitch Trubisky that offseason. The Steelers also had Mason Rudolph on the roster.

Rudolph returned to Pittsburgh this offseason, but the Steelers have not hyped him as a starting candidate this offseason as they did three years ago.

Because of their short and long-term need at quarterback, Schrager rightfully sees the Steelers as a serious landing spot for Sanders at No. 21 overall.

The first round of the 2025 NFL Draft will occur Thursday in Green Bay, Wis. The event will begin at 8 pm ET.