Pittsburgh Steelers' decision to draft quarterback Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft instead of picking Shedeur Sanders earlier has been met with criticism. ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. was particularly vocal, frustrated by Sanders' fall to the fifth round and criticizing the Steelers' strategy, which he believes relies heavily on potentially signing Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers' choice to prioritize a defensive tackle in the first round, coupled with their lack of a second-round pick due to a trade for DK Metcalf, further complicates their quarterback situation. Kiper suggests that the Steelers are taking a significant risk with Mason Rudolph as the current starter and only a rookie backup in Howard. The team's hopes seem pinned on acquiring Rodgers, or they risk ending coach Mike Tomlin's streak of non-losing seasons.

The Pittsburgh Steelers chose Ohio State quarterback Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, ignoring Shedeur Sanders, who was highly regarded by many, including ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr., and eventually picked by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round.

Mel Kiper Jr. expressed strong disapproval of the Steelers' quarterback draft strategy, highlighting Sanders as the top quarterback prospect and criticizing NFL teams for their historical inability to evaluate quarterbacks effectively.

The Steelers' strategy appears to hinge on acquiring Aaron Rodgers, as they bypassed drafting a top-tier quarterback early on, risking their current quarterback situation with Mason Rudolph as the starter.

In the first round, Pittsburgh selected defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, a move that Kiper criticized for not addressing their urgent quarterback needs, especially given their trade of a second-round pick for wide receiver DK Metcalf.

Kiper's frustration extends to the Steelers' overall draft approach, suggesting that without signing Rodgers or finding a successful Day 2 quarterback, Pittsburgh's decisions, particularly passing on Sanders, will be scrutinized throughout the season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn't address the quarterback position until the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, as the team selected Ohio State signal-caller Will Howard with the No.185 overall pick on Day 3.

Pittsburgh passed on Shedeur Sanders multiple times during the draft, which is shocking, as they were constantly linked to the Colorado product throughout the draft process and have an incredibly uncertain quarterback situation.

One analyst who isn't a big fan of the Steelers quarterback strategy in the draft is ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.. The long-time draft analyst was very high on Sanders leading up to the draft, as Kiper ranked him as QB1 in the draft class.

Obviously, Sanders fell all the way until the fifth round of the draft, leading to Kiper losing it on multiple occasions throughout the three-day period. He even said that NFL teams are clueless at evaluating quarterbacks after Cleveland finally selected Sanders with the No.144 overall pick.

"The NFL has been clueless for 50 years when it comes to evaluating quarterbacks. There's proof of that now," Kiper Jr. said on the ESPN NFL Draft broadcast.

Due to the Steelers passing on Sanders and waiting till Round 6 to add a signal-caller, Kiper was very critical of general manager Omar Khan's approach to the quarterback situation in a recent article.

The Steelers must feel really good about their chances of signing Aaron Rodgers. That's the only explanation for their approach to the 2025 draft. And if they don't land Rodgers (or pull some other magic at QB), coach Mike Tomlin's 18-year streak of going at least .500 could end. Mason Rudolph is the current starter. Yet, Pittsburgh added only Will Howard at the position -- in Round 6. He's a backup in the NFL. Instead of getting a quarterback they can win games with right now in Round 1, the Steelers went defensive tackle.

Don't get me wrong, Derrick Harmon is perfect for this defense. However, it just seems like Pittsburgh is rolling the dice at its most important position. And think about this, too: The Steelers didn't have a second-round pick because they traded it for DK Metcalf. But who is throwing Metcalf the ball???

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This isn't the first time Kiper has ripped the Steelers for their quarterback decisions in this year's draft, as he went off on Pittsburgh for passing on Sanders for Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon in Round 1.

"Who is going to play quarterback in Pittsburgh? If the Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers, this is less of an issue. He would at least give them a 2025 starter. But I had issue with the Saints passing on Shedeur Sanders, so I have to point out the Steelers doing the same 12 picks later. Plus, Pittsburgh doesn't have a second-round pick, meaning it will be a long wait until No. 83 on Friday night. Derrick Harmon could bring some pressure inside for the Steelers, who have to think about the future with Cameron Heyward turning 36. But if they don't sign Rodgers, and they don't get lucky with the Day 2 quarterbacks, we're going to be examining this pick all season long," Kiper Jr. wrote.

We'll see if the Steelers regret not selecting Sanders in the draft, as it looks like the franchise is banking on landing Aaron Rodgers this at some point offseason.

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