Shedeur Sanders Reportedly Wasn't Viewed as 'Slam-Dunk Pick' by Steelers in NFL Draft

Many were shocked that the Pittsburgh Steelers passed up on the opportunity to use one of their 2025 NFL draft picks to select quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who slid to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round.

However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that the Steelers weren't completely convinced that drafting Sanders would be the best course for their future.

"The Steelers were comfortable with Shedeur Sanders as a distributing point guard type, which makes it a mild surprise they didn't take him with their fourth-round pick. To borrow another basketball analogy, those inside the Steelers' building did not reach a consensus on Sanders as a slam-dunk pick," Fowler explained.

Sanders' massive fall to the fifth round is still creating questions, as many expected him to be a first-round pick during the lead-up to the draft. Pittsburgh was frequently linked to the former Colorado signal-caller due to its glaring need at the quarterback position, but the team bypassed the chance to land him.

Pittsburgh's quarterback room consists of veteran backups Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard. The team is still waiting on a decision from veteran free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but there have been indications that he will sign with the franchise eventually.

Sanders will be looking to prove many people wrong as he begins his NFL career, and it now appears that the Steelers are near the top of that list.