3 potential Steelers 2025 NFL Draft day shockers 

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How will the Steelers navigate the quarterback position?

Before each NFL draft, we hear the same thing repeated over and over — “This is the least predictable draft of all time!”

I disagree with that statement this year.

The first handful of picks seem pretty set in stone, with the only wild card potentially being Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders. It’s a good segue because the real intrigue for me is where the signal-callers will go. I think we can connect some dots because, for the first time I can remember, only a few teams need a quarterback. The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of them.

So, while this draft might be mostly predictable, the Steelers are one of the teams that could throw things for a loop. Here are three scenarios that would do just that.

Steelers trade up for Shedeur Sanders

The black and gold hosted the polarizing prospect last week, and according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter, they came away from that meeting very impressed.

It’s been speculated that Sanders is falling down boards due to his lack of ideal size and arm strength, and maybe the drama that could come with his father, Deion Sanders, being over-involved in the process.

I still think it’s unlikely that he would fall to 21, so could the Steelers trade multiple assets to move up? Probably not, but who knows how much they like him? They could try and jump ahead of the New Orleans Saints, a team desperate for a quarterback, who sit at pick nine. That would likely require dealing a future first-round selection.

Steelers fans across the country would be on high heart-attack alert, but without any clarity on an Aaron Rodgers decision, could this be the shocker of the draft?

Trade back and draft Alabama QB Jalen Milroe

I think the Steelers see Milroe in a similar light to Justin Fields, except a much cheaper version. He’s got wheels similar to Lamar Jackson, but his accuracy needs at least a year of harnessing. That makes him a good candidate to sit and learn behind Rodgers, or potentially Mason Rudolph, who could start the season as the Steelers QB1.

A trade down in general is an ideal scenario for the Steelers. They don’t have a second-round pick due to the DK Metcalf trade, and most of their pre-draft visitors are in the projected picks 33-70 range, which is interesting. I think the Steelers will have to trade down around the end of the first round if they want to execute this plan. But it takes two to tango, and it’s hard to imagine many teams behind them would want to move into their spot.

Move out of the first round entirely and acquire extra picks in the 2026 draft

Although I’d be surprised if the Steelers were laser-focused on next year’s quarterback class, the Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac recently said they plan to go all in on a quarterback in 2026. It’s a class that could feature Texas QB Arch Manning, Penn State signal-caller Drew Allar, and LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier. Simply put, it’s a significantly better class.

What’s the best way to do that? Acquire a bundle of picks to build a package that’s too good for a team picking in the top 10 to pass up.

The picks in 2026 that are tied to former QBs Russell Wilson and Justin Fields could net them two extra third-round picks if they met their incentives, which would boost their draft capital even more.

It’s a bold strategy, but in my opinion, it’s their best chance to finally escape purgatory.

What are your thoughts on these bold predictions? Let us know in the comments section!