With the Pittsburgh Steelers in dire need of a quarterback and the Tennessee Titans fixated on selecting Cam Ward No. 1 overall, there was reason to believe they'd end up taking Shedeur Sanders, the second-best option in this class in the eyes of many, with their first-round pick.
Well, not only did the Steelers pass on him in the first round, but they did the same with their third-round pick and their fourth-round pick. By passing on him three times, the Steelers made it clear that they did not think too highly of the Colorado product, whether they would've taken him later on in the festivities or not.
Eventually, Sanders wound up coming off the board in the fifth round, heading to the Cleveland Browns. This player, who could've conceivably gone in the top three, wound up coming off the board at No. 144. By allowing this to happen, the Steelers have set themselves up for passing on Sanders to haunt them for years to come.
Steelers set themselves up for worst-case scenario with Shedeur Sanders
Again, by passing on him several times despite their clear need for a quarterback, the Steelers made it known that they do not believe in Sanders as a franchise quarterback. While that stance is abundantly clear, that doesn't mean that they're right. If they just so happen to be wrong, Sanders going to Cleveland is a brutal outcome.
The AFC North already has Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow leading the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively. The only team saving the Steelers from being the laughing stock of the AFC North quarterback-wise is the Browns, who traded for and gave a ridiculous amount of money to a now-injured Deshaun Watson. This is far from a guarantee, but if Sanders turns out to be what the Steelers believe he isn't, that'd be a disaster.
Not only would the Steelers watch a guy they doubted turn into a contributor, but they'd have to face him twice a year. It would've been one thing to watch an NFC team draft Sanders and watch him succeed. Watching Sanders succeed in the AFC North would be really hard for Pittsburgh to recover from, especially if they don't have a quarterback solution of their own.
If the Steelers were right about Sanders, all the Browns did was waste a fifth-round pick — that's not the end of the world. If they were wrong, though, that would hurt them in more ways than one.