This week, the 2025 NFL draft will finally kick off. As the first-round creeps closer, it feels more and more like the Pittsburgh Steelers will draft a quarterback. Speculation connecting them to Shedeur Sanders is getting more rampant. However, Sanders would probably have to fall to the Steelers’ pick at No. 21, and that feels unlikely. Quarterbacks come at a premium in the draft. Rich Eisen thinks that a draft-day fall to the Steelers could be great for Sanders, though.

“Shedeur could be twice a year throwing at Travis Hunter,” Eisen said Monday on the Overreaction Monday Podcast. “This is the good stuff. The Steelers having Shedeur Sanders would be great for Shedeur Sanders. It would just be a long night for him to get there. Once again, just to bring it full circle, ask Lamar Jackson how that worked out. Jalen Hurts, ask him how it’s working.”

Jackson suffered one of the most recent surprising falls in the draft. He was one of the most polarizing prospects going into the 2018 draft. While he oozed potential, there were some who didn’t think Jackson was suited to play quarterback. In the end, the 2017 Heisman Trophy winner fell to the very last pick in the first round, with the Baltimore Ravens trading up to select him. Now, he’s a two-time MVP and one of the best players in the NFL.

To be clear, Jackson and Sanders are extremely different players. As a prospect, Jackson was an athletic freak. It’s tough to compare him to anybody. Meanwhile, Sanders is a more traditional pocket passer. He doesn’t have that same athleticism.

That’s part of the reason why Sanders could fall on draft day. Although he’s widely viewed as the second-best quarterback in the draft, Sanders doesn’t have one trait that projects him as a high-level NFL player.

However, Sanders is still a solid player. If the Steelers have a first-round grade on him, and he’s on the board at 21, then they should take him. Currently, their quarterback room consists of Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. It’s uncertain what Aaron Rodgers’ future holds. Taking a chance on Sanders might be one of the best options left for the Steelers.

Also, the Steelers are in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. Maybe Sanders can fill that void for them. He could be the future under center for Pittsburgh. Until the Steelers find that player, they’ll likely continue to find themselves in quarterback purgatory. Jackson didn’t immediately start to begin his career. Perhaps Sanders could follow a similar path, although he might never reach Jackson’s heights.