The Pittsburgh Steelers can't disguise their need for a long-term answer at quarterback. This is something Aaron Rodgers won't fix if and when he decides to put pen to paper and ink a deal with this franchise for the 2025 season. But eventually, general manager Omar Khan will be forced to take another stab at a QB in the NFL Draft.
This may not come this April... at least not a quarterback swing in Round 1. The Steelers have plenty of other positions to address. They need to find Cam Heyward's eventual replacement on the defensive line while desperately lacking depth at running back and cornerback.
Based on their needs and their roster moves in the first wave of free agency, it's easy to mock an interior defensive lineman to the Steelers with the 21st overall pick. Oregon's Derrick Harmon and Michigan's Kenneth Grant make too much sense to ignore. The defensive line need feels even more prevalent after Pittsburgh traded for wide receiver DK Metcalf—filling a major hole at one of their biggest needs entering the offseason.
But what does the mock draft simulator think?
Recently, the staff at Pro Football Focus released an article detailing the most frequently mocked players to each NFL team in Round 1. These were based on data from fans' selections using PFF's mock draft simulator this offseason. The findings were... surprising.
Despite having a good feel for the positions the Steelers could target with the 21st overall pick, the most commonly mocked player to the Steelers in the 2025 NFL Draft has been Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could make a franchise-altering decision is Shedeur Sanders is available at pick 21
The fact that Sanders is the most frequently mocked player to the Pittsburgh Steelers is surprising. The majority of NFL Draft experts have Sanders going off the board long before Omar Khan and company are on the clock. Some of the latest draft buzz even suggests Sanders could go to the Cleveland Browns with the second overall pick this April.
However, if Sanders happens to slip in the NFL Draft, the Steelers have to decide if he's worth the gamble in Round 1.
Sanders had a remarkable two-year stint with the Colorado Buffaloes. The play-making quarterback helped turn a one-win program into a 9-4 team by his second season as a starter before declaring for the draft. Sanders' 2024 season was accompanied by 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns while throwing for 9.27 adjusted yards per attempt.
While Sanders doesn't have elite arm strength and possesses only average athletic traits, his body of work and willingness to take a shot while delivering a pass over the middle of the field could be a selling point for a team like the Steelers.
The Steelers have traded up in the draft for far lesser prospects. When former GM Kevin Colbert was running the show, Pittsburgh jumped from pick 20 to pick 10 in the 2019 NFL Draft for off-ball linebacker Devin Bush. And if they were willing to move up for a linebacker, they should be willing to go twice as high for a quarterback if they believe he's a franchise guy.
Regardless of whether the Steelers land Aaron Rodgers for the 2025 season, they will need a long-term answer at the helm. Shedeur Sanders is unlikely to fall this far, but the Pittsburgh Steelers could be all over him if he slips in the 2025 NFL Draft.