Colorado Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders is a consensus top-two quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft alongside Miami’s Cam Ward. Most project Sanders to go off the board within the first six picks of the draft to either the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, New York Giants, or Las Vegas Raiders.
However, multiple franchises are selecting outside of the top six who need a QB — and a young one at that.
Shedeur Sanders Predicted To Land With Pittsburgh Steelers In Bold Trade Up
The Pittsburgh Steelers are stuck in mediocrity. While head coach Mike Tomlin has 18 consecutive non-losing campaigns under his belt, fans are starting to get fed up with the lack of dominance.
Pittsburgh has the No. 21 pick in Round 1, which is nowhere near the pick needed to land Ward or Sanders. However, a trade up into the top five could change that.
Yardbarker’s Seth Trachtman predicts just that, with the Steelers finally making a move to get out of the middle of the pack by moving up to draft Sanders.
“The Steelers have struggled to replace Ben Roethlisberger, striking out with the additions of Kenny Pickett, Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields,” Trachtman wrote. “That doesn’t mean they should stop swinging, and Sanders shows big upside after a productive two seasons at Colorado. Pittsburgh enters the draft with the 21st pick, and would likely need to trade up for Sanders.”
Many project the Steelers to go after a QB in the later rounds, such as Alabama’s Jalen Milroe or Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. The reality is neither of these prospects displayed the upside in college that Sanders did. Selecting a quarterback not in the consensus top two would simply be a parallel move from Russell Wilson or Justin Fields.
Both of the aforementioned Steelers QBs are free agents, with Wilson ranking at No. 81 in PFSN’s Top 100, while Fields comes in at No. 46. With how the Steelers have approached the roster since Roethlisberger retired, it feels much more likely they would bring back a familiar face or target another established QB in free agency.
This is what would make the bold move for Sanders so much more exciting for fans, as it would finally signify a change in approach. There’s no telling if Pittsburgh would succeed in polishing and developing the Buffaloes’ QB, but at the very least, there would be a spark in the Steel City once again with Deion Sanders’ son under center.