Shedeur Sanders to Steelers, Jeanty to Raiders in Bucky Brooks' 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21, and running back Ashton Jeanty went No. 6 to the Las Vegas Raiders in the latest mock draft from NFL.com's Bucky Brooks.

"[Head coach Mike Tomlin] could view Sanders as the perfect quarterback for his squad," Brooks stated. "With his confidence, moxie and pinpoint passing skills, the Colorado star might ignite a dormant offense that has already added some star power this offseason."

Pittsburgh is in desperate need of a long-term solution quarterback, something the Steelers haven't had since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.

The Steelers hoped Kenny Pickett, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, would be the heir apparent, but it didn't work out. He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2023 season.

Pittsburgh then rolled with Justin Fields and then Russell Wilson last year, and that duo combined to lead an improved offense en route to 10 wins and the playoffs. But the Steelers moved on from both free agents last year. Fields signed a deal with the New York Jets, and Wilson is with the New York Giants.

The Steelers' interest in four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is well-known, but the team is still waiting to get an official answer from him on whether he'll agree to a contract with the team. He told ESPN's Pat McAfee that he's undecided on his future, with retirement still a possibility.

As for the Raiders, Jeanty has been strongly connected to that team for some time now.

"[Head coach Pete Carroll’s] apparent desire to feature a dominant rushing attack makes the Boise State standout the sensible pick to serve as his lead back," Brooks wrote.

Las Vegas' rushing attack was among the worst in the NFL last year at 3.6 yards per carry. Zamir White was seen as the potential answer to the team's rushing woes at the beginning of the year, but he lost his starting gig and ran for just 2.8 yards per carry. The team's leading rusher ended up being Alexander Mattison, with 420 rushing yards and 3.2 yards per carry.

So the Raiders need to improve that rushing attack quickly. The offense has a whole struggled last year, finishing four-last in points per game. The Raiders hope their trade for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith gets the job done in the passing game, but adding Jeanty, a Heisman finalist who just amassed 2,739 total yards and 30 touchdowns, would be a great start toward re-booting the running game.