The 2025 NFL Draft featured plenty of surprises, but none bigger than the unexpected slide of highly touted quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
While mock drafts consistently linked Sanders to the Pittsburgh Steelers as a first-round selection, reality played out much differently.
The Steelers passed on Sanders multiple times, allowing him to fall all the way to the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns eagerly scooped him up.
This decision may come back to haunt Pittsburgh, according to Cleveland Browns legend Hanford Dixon.
“They’re gonna pay… I guarantee you, Shedeur Sanders is going to make them pay every time we play them. Twice a year, he’s going to make them pay.” Dixon said recently on The Hanford Dixon Show.
Who is going to make who pay? Gab and Hanford discuss Shedeur Sanders and the Steelers PASSING on him. #DawgPound
"I guarantee you, Shedeur Sanders is going to make them pay every time he plays them twice a year."
–@HanfordDixon29 pic.twitter.com/p8b4lRFSdR
— The Hanford Dixon Show (@TopDawgShow) May 2, 2025
Questions still swirl around why Sanders tumbled down draft boards in what has become one of the most puzzling draft stories this year.
Despite being widely considered the second-best quarterback prospect in the entire 2025 class, Sanders watched as team after team passed him over through four complete rounds.
The Cleveland Browns ultimately landed what many consider a draft-day steal.
Sanders brings impressive college credentials, including being one of the most accurate passers in NCAA history.
His unexpected availability in the fifth round could prove to be a franchise-altering moment for Cleveland.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers find their quarterback plans under increased scrutiny.
The team looks poised for another solid season under Mike Tomlin, likely finishing with nine to eleven wins.
But that success might actually hurt their chances of finding a quarterback solution through next year’s draft.
The situation seems even more perplexing when you consider Pittsburgh used a first-round pick on Kenny Pickett in 2022, despite Pickett not being universally regarded as a first-round talent.
Sanders offered a better overall solution at what turned out to be a significantly lower draft position.
NEXT: Analyst Names Browns' 'Sleeper' Pick In NFL Draft
