Shedeur Sanders is arguably the most polarizing prospect entering the 2025 NFL Draft. Some believe he will be selected in the top five, while others view him as a back-end first-round prospect.
His stock appears to be falling in the eyes of many scouts, leaving the door open for quarterback-needy teams like the Steelers to scoop him up later in the first round.
Mike Tomlin Weighs In on Visit With Sanders
The Pittsburgh Steelers typically keep things close to the vest and choose not to divulge much information to the public. That was no different when head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about Sanders’ recent visit with the team.
“To be quite honest with you, we didn’t talk a whole lot about my relationship with his father,” Tomlin said. “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.”
‘A very productive meeting’ #Steelers Mike Tomlin on visit with Shedeur Sanders pic.twitter.com/TRKNLvtcz2
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) April 22, 2025
Tomlin is entering his 19th season as the Steelers’ head coach, and it’s no secret the team has a need at the quarterback position. The team had Russell Wilson and Justin Fields under center last season, but both left in free agency for the New York Giants and New York Jets, respectively.
While the Steelers have been heavily linked to four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, no deal is in place at this time. Even if the team were to sign Rodgers, that wouldn’t rule them out of selecting a quarterback — Rodgers will turn 42 in December and wouldn’t serve as a long-term option.
The Steelers currently have only two quarterbacks under contract: Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Steelers general manager Omar Khan recently addressed the position.
“We go to camp with four quarterbacks; right now, we have two on the roster,” Khan said. “All options are on the table, and how we acquire those last two — I assure you we will have four when we get to Latrobe.”
GM Omar Khan on the QB position: pic.twitter.com/iUjWEazknG
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 22, 2025
The NFL Draft is one way the Steelers could address the position, and Sanders, Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe and Tyler Shough all represent potential options should they choose to select one.
Sanders led the Big 12 in attempts, completions, passing yards, passing touchdowns, completion percentage and several other efficiency metrics in 2024. On the season, he completed 74.0% of his passes for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
While he isn’t without flaws, Sanders provides whichever team selects him with arguably the most accurate passer in the draft class. He holds the FBS record for career completion percentage at 71.8% and will look to carry that over to the NFL level.
Sanders will be one of the top names to watch on draft night. Time will tell if the Steelers are the team he ends up with — and if not, they could still be in play for one of the other top quarterback prospects.