The story of the NFL Draft so far has been the unexpected fall of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Despite an extremely productive senior season, which saw him finish eighth in Heisman Trophy voting, Sanders has struggled to win over scouts in advance of his first pro campaign.
There was a time not long ago when Sanders felt like a potential No. 1 overall pick. Now, he's going in the second round at the earliest, with some believing he could fall all the way to the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 83 — in the middle of the third round.
Pittsburgh famously mulled over the possibility of drafting Sanders in the first round at No. 21, but opted for Oregon DT Derrick Harmon instead. The New York Giants traded back into the first round for a quarterback, but went with Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart instead.
Now Sanders sits precariously on the edge of a precipitous fall. Only one tell stands firmly between him and the Steelers in the third round, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport: the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 37.
Raiders are the only team standing between Shedeur Sanders and the Steelers as a third-round pick
The Raiders are expected to give serious consider to Sanders at No. 37, despite trading for Geno Smith and extended him for two more years. Smith, who has been through ups and downs his whole career, is viewed as a perfect mentor for Sanders, who did not interview well and whose sense of entitlement has been a point of conversation throughout the pre-draft cycle.
From NFL Draft Kickoff: If the #Raiders don’t take Shedeur Sanders, it could be a long wait for the #Colorado QB. pic.twitter.com/g1Ya0HXxm5
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 25, 2025
The Raiders went with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty with the No. 6 pick on Thursday night. Pete Carroll shares a long history with workhorse backs and figures to unleash Jeanty in a Marshawn Lynch-esque role.
That said, Carroll is a defense-first head coach at the end of the day, which leads one to wonder if Las Vegas might prioritize his side of the football in the second round. If the Raiders opt to bolster the depth chart around Maxx Crosby instead, well, that opens the door for Sanders to Pittsburgh at No. 83.
Rapoport mentions the New Orleans Saints as another team in need of quarterback help, but he points to Louisville's Tyler Shough as the preferred target in that instance. There's a strong chance Sanders ends up as the fourth quarterback off the board, a far cry from his heyday as a hypothesized No. 1 pick.
ESPN's Adam Schefter mentioned the possibility of a surprise landing spot earlier today, citing teams like Seattle, Arizona and Dallas as potential sleepers in the Shedeur Sanders sweepstakes. He obviously has family ties with the Cowboys through his father, Deion Sanders.
That said, the Steelers are the only team in the NFL with a gaping void at the quarterback position, which Sanders can fill. Him going in the third round just doesn't sound right, but it sure is possible.