2025 NFL Draft rumors: Steelers Mike Tomlin really likes this top QB prospect, who could end up in Pittsburgh

With less than 10 days to go until the start of the 2025 NFL Draft, it’s still unclear where Shedeur Sanders is going to land. The Colorado quarterback could end up being a top-three pick, but there’s also a chance that he could completely fall out of the top 10. 

If Sanders does fall in the draft, there’s at least one team that could be waiting for him and that’s the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have the 21st overall pick. According to NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin “really likes” Sanders, who was in Pittsburgh to visit with the team on April 10. 

“I am told … and I tend to trust where I’m getting this information, Mike Tomlin really likes Shedeur,” McShay said. “If he’s there at 21, Shedeur could very well be a Pittsburgh Steeler.”

Not only does Tomlin appear to be a fan of Sanders, but the quarterback also appears to be a fan of Tomlin. After visiting with the Steelers last week, Sanders only had positive things to say about the Steelers coach. 

“It was great,” Sanders said of his visit, via NFL Media. “The Steelers were great. I understand them. I understand why they win so much.” 

Sanders also added that Tomlin “resembles” his dad, Deion, when it comes to their coaching styles. During a separate interview on “Up and Adams,” Sanders said he would give his visit with the Steelers a “10” out of 10. 

Although there seems to be some mutual interest, it won’t be easy for the Steelers to land Sanders. If Sanders is going to end up in Pittsburgh, one of two things would have to happen: Either he’s going to have to fall in the draft or the Steelers are going to have to trade up or both. 

Trading up could be possible, but only to a certain degree. If Sanders, who’s working out for the Giants on Thursday, ends up going third overall to New York, there’s no way the Steelers would be able to trade up into the top-2 so they could steal him from the Giants. 

On the other hand, if Sanders falls out of the top five, that would certainly make things interesting. The Saints could possibly be interested in Sanders at ninth overall and although it’s unlikely the Steelers would be able to move up 14 spots to eighth overall, it’s not impossible. The team that holds the eighth overall pick (Carolina) has said its open for business when it comes to a possible trade. 

The best case scenario for the Steelers would be if Sanders ended up dropping down to them at 21st overall. If Sanders makes it out of the top 10, he becomes a realistic possibility for the Steelers, because there’s no team picking between 11th and 20th that would likely spend a first-round pick on a quarterback. 

In his latest mock draft for CBS Sports, Mike Renner has Sanders falling all the way down to the Steelers at 21 (You can see his full mock here). In 2004, the Steelers watched Ben Roethlisberger fall out of the top 10 and they were able to nab him with the 11th overall pick in a move that solved the team’s QB situation for nearly two decades. 

The Steelers will be hoping for a similar situation this year. 

The one wild-card in the Steelers’ scenario is Aaron Rodgers. If the four-time MVP ends up signing with Pittsburgh before the draft, that could steer them away from taking a QB in the first round, but that’s not a given. The Steelers could still take Sanders and let him sit for a year behind Rodgers. 

The bottom line here is that the Steelers need a quarterback and with Tomlin showing an affinity for Sanders, no one should be surprised if the Colorado quarterback somehow ends up in Pittsburgh.