Steelers Tabbed As The Worst Landing Spot For Sanders

Photo Credit: https://cubuffs.com

The Steelers hosted Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders yesterday for a pre-draft meeting. Despite reports of an overall positive experience, one analyst believes that Pittsburgh would be the worst destination for one of the top-ranked quarterbacks in this year's draft class.

In his latest article for Bleacher Report, NFL analyst Brent Sobleski listed the worst landing spots for Sanders, with the Steelers at the top of his list.

In his rationale, Sobleski noted how Arthur Smith's run-centric offense may not be compatible with Sanders, who played primarily from the shotgun formation throughout his career. Sobleski believes that these philosophical differences could result in a steep learning curve, potentially affecting Sanders' growth as a rookie.

"The passing game is then built around the play-action attack. However, Sanders primarily played from shotgun for the majority of his career. He'd therefore have a steep learning curve in his transition to the NFL."

Perhaps the strongest point made by Sobleski in his analysis was related to the Steelers' offensive line, which struggled in pass protection during the latter stages of the 2024 season and was ranked overall at the lower end of the spectrum. Sanders himself had his fair share of issues playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in college football with Colorado. Though he was still able to make plays, Sobleski believes that the bad habits he developed as a result could be detrimental to his overall development in the NFL.

" Sanders already spent the last two years playing behind one of the worst offensive lines in college football. In the NFL, he won't be able to get away with some of the bad habits he's developed as a result."

Although it is not certain that the Steelers will draft Sanders, the two issues Soblesk highlighted regarding the Steelers' offense appear to be valid. Regardless of which quarterback plays for the Steelers this upcoming season, their success on offense will likely depend on their ability to establish a consistent running game and improve overall protection.