Day 3 of the draft is for long shots. It’s a bunch of players who come into a program hoping to make the roster their rookie year and develop into a long-term starter after earning their place within the team. It’s not for players many expected to get a shot at being a franchise quarterback. But the board has shaken in a very strange way, and Pittsburhg has a shot to do something that may have never been done.
It’s hard to remember a draft slide that has had a player fall this far. Shedeur Sanders was once believed to be the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and even the week of the draft, was considered a possibility as the second and third picks overall.
Not a single expert had him falling to the fourth round. But he’s here.
Now, the Steelers have a shot at their guy. Pittsburgh has a first-round grade on Sanders coming into the NFL Draft and was considering him with the 21st overall pick. Instead, they took a shot that he’d fall, and it worked out. But it’s hard to imagine anyone saw how far this slide was goingt o go.
Why is it happening? Because Sanders comes with a lot of outside noise, especially surrounding the words of his father, and doesn’t carry the elite talent that a quarterback needs in the NFL. Teams don’t need the noise, and it only grows the later he gets drafted. At this point, he’s an underdog story, which comes with much more drama than teams wanted to add to their quarterback room – especially for a backup.
The Steelers probably don’t care. They have the best personality management in the NFL and have dealt with plenty of “noise” in their locker room over the last decade. So, if they think Sanders is the best pick at No. 123, they’ll take him.
The Steelers may end up with a massive steal in the NFL Draft. Somehow, they could walk out of the three days with a top-tier defensive tackle, a top four running back in a loaded draft class, DK Metcalf as their second-round pick, and Sheduer Sanders. That shouldn’t have been an option.
Does that crown them winners of the draft? Who knows. But it’s certainly a class no one could’ve imagined coming into the weekend. And a class they have to be thrilled about if they can use their fourth-round pick on a quarterback they nearly took in the first round.