Shedeur Sanders was once thought to be the top quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. At the very least, he was considered a top-five pick.
However, in recent weeks, he began to slide from top five to top 10. And then he slid from a lock to be top 10, to questions surrounding whether or not he would be a first-round pick at all.
According to many, the best chance for him to land in the third round was with the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21.
Now, the Steelers have made their decision on Sanders, and elected to pass on the controversial Colorado star. Instead, they selected Oregon defensive tackle, Derrick Harmon.
This comes as a major surprise, since draft experts such as Mel Kiper Jr. believed him to be the top quarterback in the draft overall.
“Sanders is my top-ranked quarterback, and his accuracy jumps off the tape. He completed 74% of his throws last season despite being under constant pressure. Playing in the NFC South with good weather and a few indoor stadiums would ease any arm strength concerns. And he wouldn’t be forced to play right away. Derek Carr, 34, will be with the Saints for at least another season; Sanders could learn behind him before taking over.”
In terms of production, Kiper was not wrong. In 2023 with Colorado, Sanders threw for over 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns with only three interceptions. In 2024, he blew those stats out of the water, leading Colorado to an 8-4 record while passing for 4,134 yards and 37 scores with 10 interceptions.
Apparently, however, there was a crowd of NFL executives who were major detractors of Sanders, and it might explain his slide.
“The worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life. He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks,” an anonymous AFC executive told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates. … But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good. It didn’t go great in our interview. He wants to dictate what he’s going to do and what’s best for him. He makes you feel small.”
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