One of the league’s most-anticipated spots going into the 2025 NFL Draft was none other than the Pittsburgh Steelers, and for obvious reasons.
The Steelers desperately needed a quarterback. Would they end up going all-in on Shedeur Sanders after it appeared the Colorado quarterback could fall quite a bit?
As the Steelers were on the clock for their selection at no. 21 overall, the odds of them going with Sanders were anyone’s guess. In the end, Pittsburgh went with Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
In Harmon, the Steelers attacked a need. They wisely went with an interior defensive lineman who has a high ceiling in Harmon. He was widely-viewed as a first-round prospect so, unlike other options still on the board, Harmon wasn’t a reach. He was the right pick.
However, the fact that the Steelers went with Harmon over Sanders does tell us quite a bit.
Drafting Derrick Harmon over Shedeur Sanders proves the Steelers stuck to their process
In the end, Sanders simply wasn’t a good enough player to warrant drafting that high. Say what you want, but the fact that so many experts were split on him going into the draft was more than enough for Omar Khan to go the safer route with Harmon.
Right before the Steelers made their selection, NFL insider Ian Rapoport had this to say on the air:
“We know he had a good visit … my understanding is, as of yesterday, they were going back and forth. Is the value worth it? (It was) split in the room,” Rapoport said.
His point lines up exactly with the route the Steelers ended up going. It was Harmon over Sanders for good reason.
We know Sanders has some good traits. But, at the same time, we also know that he may not truly be NFL-ready. Whether it’s on the field questions or apparent issues with how he interviewed that ultimately led Pittsburgh to go another route, we may never know.
But, what we do know is, Sanders wasn’t good enough to be drafted 21st overall, period.
