Steelers Now
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thinks Pittsburgh should think long and hard if Shedeur Sanders is available at pick No. 21.
There is growing belief that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders could fall to the Pittsburgh Steelers at pick No. 21 in the 2025 NFL Draft. If that’s how things play out, former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thinks they’ll have to think long and hard.
“I’ve heard everything from he might slide to the second or third round to he might slide to the 21st pick of the Steelers,” Roethlisberger said on his “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast. “He might not. He might be gone at five, anyway. The Saints might end up taking him now. They’re a new team that would come into play for a quarterback like him.”
“I think if he’s there at 21, the Steelers are gonna have to take all the time on the clock to evaluate if they think he’s the right move for this team moving forward,” Roethlisberger said. “Can he do what Arthur Smith wants to do on offense? Does he bring the type of leadership, bring the type of quarterback and play that they want? That’s something you’re really gonna have to think about because you were thinking that there was no quarterback available in this draft that you were gonna really want at that first-round pick.”
It still seems more likely than not that Sanders will end up as a top 10 pick. He currently ranks as the consensus No. 6 overall player and second best quarterback on the NFL Mock Draft Database big board after throwing for 7,364 yards, 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions over the past two seasons at Colorado.
However, some NFL talent evaluators have major concerns about Sanders. The Steelers don’t seem to be among those after doing plenty of homework on him, though.
After skipping Sanders’ Colorado pro day, Pittsburgh hosted him for a pre-draft visit, and head coach Mike Tomlin reportedly came away very impressed.
Sanders seemed to share that sentiment, warning teams to not make the mistake of letting him fall to the Steelers. It may turn out that’s exactly what happens, but Pittsburgh better be prepared to make that decision.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Ben Roethlisberger Shares Thoughts on Steelers Potentially Drafting Shedeur Sanders
