2025 NFL Mock Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers select quarterback

Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado

The Pittsburgh Steelers are a proud franchise. With six Lombardis in their trophy case, no team has been more successful in the Super Bowl Era. However, it has been 17 years since they won a Super Bowl, and 15 years since they last appeared in the Big Game. The Steelers have not advanced past the wild card round since 2017. Perhaps more concerning is that, despite Mike Tomlin’s superb coaching, this team has a significant talent deficit. Frankly, the Pittsburgh football franchise is in significant decline.

To explain the Steelers’ recent struggles, look no further than quarterback. The last few years of the Ben Roethlisberger era were painful, and since his 2021 retirement the team has whiffed on multiple attempts find another franchise QB. At the time of this writing, the Steelers QB depth chart is as follows:

Skylar Thompson
Mason Rudolph

I’ll allow the readers to pause here and take two spoons of pepto Bismol, because that QB room is nauseating. This position must be addressed in the 2025 draft by the Men of Steel, if they are to have any hope of returning to the upper echelon of the highly competitive AFC. Pittsburgh might have actually been better served by missing the playoffs rather than making a one-and-done appearance against the Ravens in 2024.

To their credit, the team did go out and acquire D.K. Metcalf, who is a dynamic playmaker and could be a difference-maker if Pittsburgh can only find a legit passer to get him the ball.

Desperate to fill this void, the Steelers are likely contemplating a big move up on draft day to secure their franchise QB lottery ticket. They would probably be willing to trade into the top 5 or top 10 to get one of the three best quarterbacks.

Amazingly, this draft breaks Pittsburgh’s way as only Cam Ward is off the board when pick 21 rolls around. This allows them to get the second-best QB in the draft without trading up!

The Pick

Shedeur Sanders

Quarterback, Colorado

Shedeur Sanders is a top-10 talent, who falls to Pittsburgh at 21 in this draft. He has many strong traits, both physically and mentally:

Physical traits:

Compact throwing motion
Above average to strong arm, which can be lively even while throwing off the back foot.
Can throw deep without having to wind up, using a flick of the wrist
Outstanding accuracy and ball placement
Throws an accurate deep ball with touch
Excellent touch on back shoulder throws and throws near the boundary.
Elusive in the pocket and very tough to bring down
Excels throwing on the run going either to his left or right.
Average to above-average running speed while in space
Will get physical and finish runs

Mental traits:

Was trusted in college to throw into small windows in the red zone
Does a great job of avoiding traffic in the pocket while keeping his eyes down field
Does not look to run immediately after the pocket breaks down
Uses the middle of the field well
Excellent field vision
Often finds open receivers late in the down
Aggressively throws downfield, passing up easier throws to go for the kill shot
Does not hesitate to give talented receivers a chance even when tightly covered

Sanders completed a top 30 visit to western Pennsylvania and spoke highly of Mike Tomlin as both a coach and a person. Having played for his dad, NFL hall-of-famer “Coach Prime” at Colorado, there can be little doubt that Sanders is familiar with NFL expectations and would be a natural fit in Pittsburgh under Tomlin.

In summary, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ need at QB is so glaring they will be practically forced to take one in the first round. This draft exercise is a Pittsburgh jackpot, as they get their guy without trading into the top 10. In real life, they may need to make a big jump to snag Sanders, but this Community Mock leaves the Steelers all smiles.

GO BIRDS!

2025 BGN Mock Draft Order

1) Titans (JoeDirtsBarber): Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado2) Browns (kjb304): Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State3) Giants (The Player Formerly Known as Mousecop): Cam Ward, QB, Miami4) Patriots (ReginaldHtower): Will Campbell, OT, LSU5) Jaguars (eaglenomics): Mason Graham, DT, Michigan6) Raiders (dkays): Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State7) Jets (Stick19154): Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State8) Panthers (89Tremaine): Will Johnson, CB, Michigan9) Saints (FierceDisc65): Jalon Walker, EDGE, Georgia10) Bears (DrprofBubbles): Mykel Williams, EDGE, Georgia11) 49ers (granthill7): Armand Membou, OT, Missouri12) Cowboys (Be subpar for Ja’Marr): Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas13) Dolphins (thehead92): Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas14) Colts (green1us): Grey Zabel, OL, North Dakota State15) Falcons (All_Hail_Howie): James Peace Jr., EDGE, Tennessee16) Cardinals (Good Bad Ideas): Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona17) Bengals (ablesser88): Shemar Stewart, EDGE, Texas A&M18) Seahawks (herbalonius): Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan19) Buccaneers (Hoosinole): Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama20) Broncos (Silverlark60): Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State21) Steelers (Dr.MidnightGreen): Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado22) Chargers (LancGuy)23) Packers (Leo Bedio)24) Vikings (krikkebelgium)25) Texans (Aint1stULast)26) Rams (Booth12)27) Ravens (pheebthegoose)28) Lions (Neil Dutton)29) Commanders (Mailata_in_a_Miata)30) Bills (PhilaWolverine)31) Chiefs (niels.rosenquist)32) Eagles (Philly21)

Now it’s time for you to vote for who YOU think should be selected in the 2025 BGN Community Consensus Mock Draft.

1) Titans: QB Cam Ward2) Browns: EDGE Abdul Carter3) Giants: WR/CB Travis Hunter4) Patriots: OT Will Campbell5) Jaguars: DT Mason Graham6) Raiders: RB Ashton Jeanty7) Jets: OT Armand Membou8) Panthers: CB Will Johnson9) Saints: EDGE Jalon Walker10) Bears: TE Tyler Warren11) 49ers: OT Kelvin Banks Jr.12) Cowboys: WR Tetairoa McMillan13) Dolphins: OT Josh Simmons14) Colts: TE Colston Loveland15) Falcons: EDGE Mykel Williams16) Cardinals: EDGE James Pearce Jr.17) Bengals: EDGE Shemar Stewart18) Seahawks: QB Shedeur Sanders19) Buccaneers: LB Jihaad Campbell20) Broncos: RB Omarion Hampton21) Steelers: