The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to keep the question mark next to their quarterback situation by passing up drafting Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and instead selecting Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon with the No. 21 pick of the 2025 NFL draft on Thursday night.
The Steelers popped up as the top landing spot for Sanders just recently after he made a surprise visit to Pittsburgh. Coach Mike Tomlin said the quarterback's visit was "very normal and very productive." Sanders himself raved about meeting with the Steelers, and he especially loved connecting with Tomlin. But, in the end, Sanders likely won't be sporting the black and gold, and he may drop out of the first round of the draft.
Instead, the Steelers selected Harmon, who is coming off one season with the Oregon Ducks following three years with Michigan State. Harmon finished the season with 45 tackles, five sacks and two forced fumbles. He'll join the historic Steelers defense this fall.
There's still not an answer about the Steelers' quarterback situation as they await Aaron Rodgers's decision about his future. Rodgers admitted recently that he bluntly told the Steelers, "If you need to move on, if you need to do something, by all means," as the team waits for his decision. Now the need might be bigger for the Steelers to lock down Rodgers as Mason Rudolph is the projected starter at this time otherwise.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steelers Pass on QB Shedeur Sanders to Draft Oregon DT Derrick Harmon.