CLEVELAND, Ohio — Should the Browns not take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with the No. 2 pick in this months NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers are among the teams to watch who could go after him.
They will reportedly host Sanders on Thursday for a top 30 visit, according to reports including the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. The Steelers own the No. 21 pick in the first round, well past the Browns and several other teams that could take Sanders or Cam Ward as the top two quarterback prospects.
So why visit the Steelers?
“The reason is we don’t know where Shedeur Sanders is going to go,” Ian Rapoport said Thursday on the NFL Network’s Good Morning Football. “There’s potential landing spots at two, at three, there’s a couple in the top 10, but if he gets past the top 10 it could be anywhere.”
Rapoport called Sanders’ draft stock “a wild card,” similar to former Browns first-round pick Johnny Manziel.
Consider that Pittsburgh also is a potential destination for Aaron Rodgers, and Post-Gazette columnist Paul Zeise called the idea of adding both as pure “entertainment value” that they should pursue.
The Browns were first up on Sanders’ list of pre-draft visits, and cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot wrote Wednesday why they should take him. Two main points: passing on a quarterback at No. 2 and waiting until the second round or trading back into the first round is risky, plus the franchise does not intend to pick this high again anytime soon.
Cabot added there’s a drop off after Ward and Sanders at quarterback in this draft class, and the Browns hosted a few of those next quarterbacks to start this week with Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Louisville’s Tyler Shough coming to town.
Sanders also is slated to visit the Las Vegas Raiders next week, according to Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. Las Vegas owns the No. 6 pick in the draft. Unlike Pittsburgh, which has yet to sign a veteran quarterback like Rodgers, the Raiders recently added Geno Smith and signed him to a two-year deal worth $75 million.
Here is what else is happening with the Titans, Giants and the latest on how it can impact the top of this month’s NFL Draft with the Browns, who own the No. 2 pick:
Rapoport explains why Titans canceled workout with Sanders, Hunter
The Titans’ decision to cancel their private workout with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, on the surface, points to a decision being made to take Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick. Rapoport says that “would at least signal” it’s the direction they’re heading.
That’s not the only direction they could head, if Sanders and Hunter are no longer under consideration for Tennessee at No. 1.
“There is trade interest from several teams, including the New York Giants,” Rapoport said.
Ohio State running back visiting Bengals
Quinshon Judkins is visiting Cincinnati on Wednesday, according to Rapoport. The Bengals pick 17th in the first round, 49th in the second round and 81st in the third round.
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