Minor NFL Transactions: 4/21/25
Today’s minor moves:
Baltimore Ravens
- Signed RFA tender: S Ar’Darius Washington
Denver Broncos
- Signed: LS Zach Triner
- Designated as IPP participant: TE Thomas Yassmin
Houston Texans
- Waived: G Tremayne Anchrum Jr.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed RFA tender: OL Cole Van Lanen
Los Angeles Chargers
- Signed ERFA tender: TE Tucker Fisk
Miami Dolphins
- Designated as IPP participant: OT Bayron Matos
Philadelphia Eagles
- Designated as IPP participant: OT Laekin Vakalahi
Among literal free agent additions, LS Zach Triner is the only signing on the list. The veteran brings 84 games of experience to Denver, most of which came during a long stint with the Buccaneers. Triner will likely be competing with Mitchell Fraboni for the team’s long snapper role in 2025. As Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette reports, Triner inked a non-guaranteed one-year deal worth the league minimum ($1.17MM).
A handful of teams designated players as their International Player Pathway program participants. Each qualifying team receives one roster exemption from the start of their offseason program to final preseason cuts. Today’s commitments include Thomas Yassmin (Australia), Bayron Matos (Dominican Republic), and Laekin Vakalahi (Australia).
Broncos Looking To Move Up In First Round
While there’s been plenty of talk about teams potentially moving back in the first round, it sounds like one team is actually focused on moving up the draft board. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Broncos “have made inquiries about moving up” in the first round. Albert Breer of SI.com shares that sentiment, noting that Denver is one of the lone teams looking to move up.
[RELATED: Broncos To Make WR Addition]
The Broncos are currently armed with the No. 20 pick in the draft, and they own all of their picks through the first four rounds. The team doesn’t own a fifth- nor seventh-round pick, although GM George Paton and his staff do have three sixth-round selections at their disposal. Denver also has all of their 2026 picks except a sixth-round selection (sent to the Jets in the John Franklin-Myers trade).
After the Broncos made a surprising run at the playoffs behind rookie QB Bo Nix, the organization is obviously looking to take another significant step in 2025. There’s been plenty of speculation that the front office could look to add to Nix’s arsenal, with rumblings surrounding the addition of an early-round running back or receiver. On the flip side, there’s also been a rumor about the Broncos focusing their draft efforts on the defensive side of the ball — even after the Dre Greenlaw and Talanoa Hufanga signings.
In other words, the Broncos’ trade opportunities will likely be dependent on individual players vs. any one overarching position. One thing seems pretty certain: the Broncos won’t be moving back. As our own Sam Robinson noted last week, Sean Payton has never traded down in Round 1 (and probably won’t start now).
Fortunately for the Broncos, they should have plenty of options if they ultimately decide to pull the trigger on a trade. While there’s been plenty of trade-back speculation regarding a handful of teams, Schefter definitively points to the Jaguars (No. 5), Panthers (No. 8), 49ers (No. 11), Falcons (No. 15), Seahawks (No. 18), and Buccaneers (No. 19) as teams picking before Denver that could be looking to move back.
49ers Haven’t Made Progress On George Kittle, Fred Warner Extension Talks
As the 49ers continue to navigate extension talks with Brock Purdy, it sounds like two veterans will have to wait their turns for negotiations. Michael Silver of The Athletic acknowledged that the 49ers and tight end George Kittle have engaged in contract talks, although the two sides “remain far apart.” Meanwhile, the organization hasn’t had “any substantive talks” with Fred Warner about an extension.
[RELATED: 49ers, Brock Purdy Making Progress On Extension Talks]
Kittle is set to enter his age-32 campaign and the final season of his five-year, $75MM deal. After years of injury issues, Kittle has seemed to put those behind him during his active contract. Over the past four years, the tight end has missed a total of eight regular season games, and he’s been active for all nine of the 49ers postseason contests.
Kittle has also continued to produce. The tight end has earned four-straight Pro Bowl nods and three-straight All-Pro recognitions, and he topped 1,000 receiving yards in both 2023 and 2024. With Deebo Samuel no longer in San Francisco and Brandon Aiyuk recovering from a torn ACL, the 49ers seem primed to be even more reliant on their tight end in 2025.
Kittle’s $14MM average annual value still ranks fourth at the position, but the organization is presumably looking to reduce that AAV as the veteran heads into the final stretch of his career. Kittle, meanwhile, is presumably pointing to his recent track record as reason for him remaining atop the TE market. For what it’s worth, GM John Lynch said earlier this year that he wants Kittle to finish his career in San Francisco.
Warner inked a then-record-breaking extension with the 49ers back in 2021, and through the first three years of that pact, the linebacker hasn’t missed a game for the 49ers. Warner has earned an All-Pro nod in each of those three campaigns, compiling 393 tackles, 5.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles, and seven interceptions over that span.
Among outside linebackers, Warner’s contract has since been surpassed by Roquan Smith, although the 49ers leader still ranks second at the position in AAV. With two years left on his contract, the 49ers likely feel less urgency to complete a new deal, and they’ll likely want some clarity on Purdy’s next pact before committing more years and money to their defensive star.
Silver’s report came in the context of the 49ers voluntary offseason program, which begins tomorrow. The reporter expects Warner to be in attendance, although he describes Kittle’s status as “much more of a long shot.”
Saints Likelier To Add QB After Round 1?
APRIL 21: The Saints have done much more work on Dart than Sanders, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated writes. That falls in line with reporting from ESPN’s Adam Schefter; both pieces point further to New Orleans opting against a signal-caller at No. 9 and targeting one later. On that note, Schefter adds the Saints have made “exploratory calls” about trading up in the second round, a move which would be aimed at selecting a passer like Dart or another option at the position.
APRIL 18: A recent report indicated the Saints want to come out of this draft with a quarterback, but they may not view this prospect crop as producing anyone — after Cam Ward goes off the board — worthy of the No. 9 overall pick.
With the caveat of smokescreen season being in full swing, the Saints appear more likely — even after the Derek Carr news became public — to wait on a quarterback rather than select one in Round 1. They do not appear enamored with a passing prospect enough to pull the trigger at No. 9, NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill notes; ESPN.com’s Matt Miller concurs.
If the top 10 closes without a second quarterback being taken, an interesting pursuit will begin. The Giants are also viewed as being in the mix to trade up from their second-round position (No. 34) for a potential long-term answer. The Saints hold the No. 40 overall choice, a range Underhill classifies as a sweet spot for the team to get serious at QB. The Saints famously have not chosen a first-round quarterback since Archie Manning (1971), seeing free agents (Carr, Drew Brees) and trade acquisitions (Aaron Brooks) carrying the load throughout this century. With Carr’s status uncertain, however, the organization will be taking a risk by passing at No. 9.
The Saints would have a few second-tier options to choose from if they were to take their chances and go another direction in the first round. It does not look like Shedeur Sanders will be chosen in the top 10, based on recent reports, and ESPN.com’s Field Yates does not view the Saints as being sold on Sanders to the point they would burn their top draft asset on the two-year Colorado starter. That said, Yates adds Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough are believed to be on the team’s radar at a later point.
To land Dart, the Saints will probably need to trade back into Round 1. This would allow them to pick up a fifth-year option on the Ole Miss alum’s contract. Our Ely Allen mocked Dart to the Saints at No. 9. That would be the safest play for the team, even though it would strip away the chance of bolstering its Week 1 starting lineup with a higher-level prospect. QB reaches occur annually, but if the Saints do not view a substantial gap to exist between this glut of second-tier options, waiting on one could be the play.
Saints-Dart connections came up earlier during the pre-draft process, while the team has also been tied to Quinn Ewers. The latter likely will be available at No. 40. Additionally, Miller notes the Saints still view fifth-round pick Spencer Rattler as having upside. Rattler submitted a shaky run as Carr’s primary injury fill-in, after falling in the 2024 draft. Though, this came with the Saints missing their top two wide receivers, creating a tough situation for a Day 3 rookie. It would still be unlikely if the Saints left this draft with Carr and Rattler as their top two QB options, but the latter’s presence may deter the team from reaching for a passer at No. 9.
A non-QB addition in Round 1, to merely add another potential quality starter to the roster, may well be the play while the franchise examines this year’s passer contingent. With the Browns likely joining the Giants in being on the trade-up radar, to go with the QB-needy Steelers lurking as well, the Saints will have some potential landmines to navigate if they do pass at No. 9 and look to circle back to the game’s premier position soon after.
Cowboys Expected To Pick Up Tyler Smith’s Fifth-Year Option
The Cowboys will soon need to make a decision on Tyler Smith‘s fifth-year option. The team’s top offensive lineman can be counted on to remain in Dallas for at least two more years, though. 
Smith’s 2026 option is expected to be picked up, Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reports. The 24th overall pick in 2022 has one Pro Bowl nod on his resume. As a result, Smith will be in line to collect $21.27MM guaranteed for the ’26 campain in the likely event his option is exercised.
Of course, an extension could very well be in store as well. Smith is among the players known to be on the Cowboys’ radar for a long-term arrangement. The 24-year-old was drafted with the intention of starting his career along the interior, but an injury to Tyron Smith changed those plans. Tyler Smith spent much of his rookie campaign on the blindside and flashed the potential to operate as a long-term answer at left tackle.
The team’s preference is to keep the Tulsa product at guard, though, something which was the case in 2023. Last spring, Dallas selected Tyler Guyton in the first round of the draft and gave him a large workload at the left tackle spot. Smith primarily played at left guard, and with Guyton in place for the foreseeable future that setup can be expected to continue moving forward.
Offensive linemen are grouped together for the purposes of franchise tags, something which could lead to complications if team and player reached that point after the 2026 campaign. An extension could be in place well before that point, especially if Smith is seen as one of Dallas’ top priorities for a new deal. Micah Parsons is atop that list, and the process of working out his extension (as was the case last year with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb) is widely seen as taking much longer than needed.
Considering the Cowboys’ track record on that front, it would come as little surprise if talks on a long-term agreement took place over an extended period. The top of the guard market now has four players attached to multi-year deals averaging $20MM or more per year, while Trey Smith is set to earn over $23MM on the franchise tag (or a similar amount if a Chiefs extension agreement can be worked out). A top-15 guard in terms of PFF grades each of the past two years, Tyler Smith could find himself among the top earners at his position by 2026 or sooner depending on how contract talks progress.
Falcons Unlikely To Take Day 3 Pick For Kirk Cousins
APRIL 21: The Falcons are aiming for an acquiring team to take on $20MM of Cousins’ remaining guarantees, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. To no surprise, he adds that asking price has not been met and is not expected to at any point this offseason. A more realistic figure could be closer to $10MM, he adds, but of course the willingness of a team to absorb compensation will affect the trade price in terms of draft capital. With Day 3 selections insufficient to work out an agreement, it will be interesting to see if movement occurs on this front in the coming days.
APRIL 19: Kirk Cousins has made it clear that he wants out of Atlanta, but the Falcons aren’t letting him go without some compensation after giving him $90MM in fully-guaranteed money last offseason.
Cousins’ situation has been the subject of much scrutiny this offseason, and he and the team are at odds over the best resolution. Cousins, who has a no-trade clause, would prefer to be released; the Falcons would rather trade him to recoup some draft capital and shed as much of his $27.5MM salary as possible.
A post-draft trade has always made the most sense. Cousins doesn’t want a repeat of the 2024 season with a highly-drafted rookie quarterback breathing down his neck, and a post-June 1 trade would allow Atlanta to spread the dead money across two years.
However, recent comments from Falcons owner Arthur Blank indicate that facilitating a trade won’t be as simple as the team accepting an offer and Cousins waiving his no-trade clause.
“Kirk understands his situation. He understands our own situation. He understands we’ve committed a lot of funds to him,” Blank said at league meetings earlier this month (via CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones). That reflects the Falcons’ primary desire to get Cousins’ salary off the books. If they have to absorb most of his 2025 salary, they’ll need more than just a Day 3 pick to facilitate a deal.
“I told (Cousins) that we will be as thoughtful and sensitive to him as we can be,” continued Blank, “but we have a responsibility to the franchise — which we do.”
But Cousins has a responsibility to himself and his family, too. On the football side, he wants to start without the threat of being replaced during the season. On the personal side, he has two elementary school-aged children who moved three times last year, which will be a “huge consideration” for Cousins to permit a trade later in the year, according to Jones.
This sets up a precarious timeline for the Falcons. It’s hard to see them getting their desired cap relief or draft compensation in a trade unless another team suddenly has a need for a quarterback, which is unlikely to arise until closer to the season when more injuries occur. But if Cousins’ children start another year of school in Atlanta, he may be less inclined to waive his no-trade clause unless he lands in the perfect situation.
Whether or not the Falcons are able to move Cousins, they’re still expected to sign a cheap veteran passer in the coming months, according to Jones. That QB would serve as additional depth during training camp and potentially replace Cousins as Michael Penix‘s backup this season.
Jets To Exercise Fifth-Year Options On Sauce Gardner, Garrett Wilson, Jermaine Johnson
Plenty of attention remains focused on the draft at this point, but the deadline for fifth-year option decisions is looming as well. When speaking to the media on Monday, Jets general manager Darren Mougey made it clear all three of the team’s first-rounders from 2022 will remain in place for at least two more years. 
Mougey said the Jets will pick up the fifth-year option on cornerback Sauce Gardner, receiver Garrett Wilson and edge rusher Jermaine Johnson. In all three cases, the news comes as no surprise. Johnson’s Achilles tear did not create an expectation New York would choose to put him on track for free agency next spring; Gardner and Wilson, meanwhile, profile as logical extension candidates.
As a two-time Pro Bowler, Gardner qualifies for the most lucrative tier regarding his 2026 option year. The No. 4 pick in 2022 will therefore earn $21.19MM on the option. Plenty of time still exists for a long-term extension to be worked out, of course, and in that case Gardner would be in line for much higher earnings. The top of the cornerback market recently reached $30MM in annual compensation thanks to Derek Stingley Jr.‘s Texans extension.
Gardner earned first-team All-Pro honors during each of his first two campaigns, helping his case to become the league’s highest earner at the CB spot when he first became eligible for a second contract. The 24-year-old was unable to match his success in 2024, but with 40 career pass breakups and a better track record with respect to availability than Stingley, he has a strong case to reset the position’s market. Gardner has publicly expressed a desire to remain in New York for the long term.
Wilson’s future seemed less certain at times last season, with the acquisition of Davante Adams affecting his role in the Jets’ passing attack. Neither Adams nor Aaron Rodgers are in the fold anymore, though, and Wilson will be reunited with former college teammate Justin Fields in 2025. It remains to be seen how effective that tandem will be, but Wilson has managed at least 1,042 yards in each of his first three seasons despite underwhelming QB play for the Jets during that span.
The receiver market has surged in recent years, and Ja’Marr Chase now leads the way at $40.25MM per season. Wilson, 24, would be hard-pressed to reach that figure on an extension, but he could command a deal worth much more than the $16.82MM he is scheduled to earn in 2026. Once the draft has concluded, extension talks with Gardner and Wilson (along with offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker) will begin.
Johnson handled a rotational role along the edge as a rookie, but he took on a much larger workload in 2023 and took a step forward with 7.5 sacks. His performance that year resulted in a Pro Bowl nod and created high expectations for the 2024 campaign. Johnson was limited to just a pair of games as a result of his injury, though, and it would come as no surprise if the Jets waited until he returned to action to explore a long-term arrangement. For now, the Florida State product is on track to collect $13.41MM in 2026.
Teams have until May 1 to decide on fifth-year options. It will take until that date for clarity to emerge one way or the other in many cases, but with respect to the Jets questions related to the short-term futures of the Gardner-Wilson-Johnson trio can now be put to rest.
Browns Sign CB Nik Needham
Nik Needham will not need to wait until after the draft to find his next deal. The veteran cornerback signed with the Browns on Monday, per a team announcement. 
Needham saw his role and playing time fluctuate over the course of his time in Miami. The former UDFA handled a snap share of 89% in 2019 and 78% in 2022. In between, he served as a key (but less involved) figure in the Dolphins’ secondary. The past two seasons played out much differently, however.
After playing on an RFA tender in 2022, Needham saw sparse usage on defense and special teams the following year. The 28-year-old remained in Miami for last season, but he was among the Dolphins’ final roster cuts. Needham was quickly retained on the practice squad and he made a pair of appearances in 2024. His departure will not make as much of an impact as it would have earlier in his career, but losing Needham nevertheless represents another member of the secondary which is no longer in place for Miami (like Kendall Fuller,who was released) or who could soon be on the move (in the case of trade candidate Jalen Ramsey).
Needham has seen time at outside corner, in the slot and (on occasion) as a box safety. He could therefore compete for a number of roles in a backup capacity upon arrival with the Browns. Cleveland still has Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson and Greg Newsome under contract at corner, with the same being true of safety Grant Delpit. Rodney McLeod played a key role last season, but he is expected to retire and has therefore not been re-signed. Safety represents a need ahead of the draft, and the signing of Needham – whose 2022 campaign was ended by an Achilles tear – will not affect the team’s plans at that spot.
The Browns entered Monday with just over $19MM in cap space. Much of that figure will need to be devoted to signing the team’s incoming rookie class, but Needham will give Cleveland a low-cost option in the secondary regardless of how the draft shakes out.
Prospect Profile: Shedeur Sanders
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of Hall of Fame NFL cornerback and current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, has been one of the 2025 NFL Draft class’s most polarizing prospects. At times trending to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, Sanders’ draft stock has slowly fallen in the last few months, but he still projects as a first-round quarterback and a potential starter in the NFL. 
Sanders grew up just outside of Dallas, where his father spent five years of his career from 1995-99. When he got to high school, attending Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas, he was coached by his father, who served as the high school’s offensive coordinator at the time. Between the different recruit ranking services, Sanders was either a three- or four-star recruit, with 247Sports ranking him as the 37th-best passer in the class.
Likely based on his pedigree, plenty of schools were willing to take a chance on Sanders as a prospect, granting him offers from several Division I programs. The schools that recruited him the most were Alabama, Baylor, Louisville, LSU, South Carolina, FAU, UCF, and Utah State. He committed to the Owls in Boca Raton in the July before his senior season, but when his father was hired as the new head coach at Jackson State two months later, the Tigers became the favorite to land him. He eventually decommitted from FAU, flipping and signing with Jackson State, who would also flip five-star, No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter from Florida State on Early National Signing Day.
After initially being ineligible to perform in football activities during the spring, Sanders was named the starting quarterback for Jackson State as a true freshman. Starting all 13 games, Sanders completed 65.9 percent of his passes for 3,231 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions, winning 11 games. He won the Jerry Rice Award (given to the most outstanding freshman in the FCS) becoming the first player from a historically black college or university (HBCU) to win the award. As a sophomore, Sanders’ Tigers went 12-1 while he completed 70.6 percent of his passes for 3,732 yards, 40 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. He sophomore campaign was rewarded with the Deacon Jones Trophy (given to the nation’s top HBCU player).
In early-December, near the end of the Tigers’ season, Deion was named the new head coach at Colorado. Two weeks later, both Shedeur and Hunter entered the transfer portal and, eventually, followed their head coach to Boulder. The newcomers in Colorado started off hot with three straight wins over a ranked TCU, Nebraska, and Colorado State, but the Buffaloes would go 1-8 in Pac-12 play to finish the season 4-8 (4-7 with Sanders as the starter). Sanders completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only three interceptions as he and Hunter shined as bright spots on a struggling team that desperately needed improvements on the offensive line and defense.
Coming back for his final year of eligibility, Sanders, Hunter, and company went 9-3 in the regular season, ranking 23rd in the College Football Playoff rankings, missing the playoffs. They would go on to lose to BYU in the Alama Bowl to end 9-4. Overall on the season, Sanders set career highs in completion percentage (74.0) and passing yards (4,134) while throwing 37 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He earned honors as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in the school’s first season in the new conference, and the university would eventually announce that it was retiring both Sanders’ No. 2 jersey and Hunter’s No. 12 jersey.
At times during the 2024 season, Sanders was thought to be a potential No. 1 overall pick in the draft, often with Hunter being his top competition for the top honor in the class. Over time, Miami’s Cam Ward eventually took over the odds as the favorite to land in Nashville as the top overall draft pick, making Sanders a likely second overall pick. As the pre-draft process continued, Sanders continued to slip with Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter becoming favorites to land at Nos. 2 and 3. While it’s always a possibility that a team could trade up to No. 4 overall to secure Sanders, the latest projections see him potentially falling back to No. 9 overall with the Saints or even No. 21 overall with the Steelers. There are some that view him almost as highly as Ward and some who don’t even give him a first-round grade.
The majority of concerns that have caused Sanders to slide have to do with his tape. Sanders ranks as QB2 (sometimes QB3 behind Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart) for a reason. His senior year completion percentage led the NCAA, displaying elite accuracy, and he shows impressive abilities stay cool in clutch situations and avoid turnovers despite excessive pressure from a leaky offensive line. He’s smart, savvy, and tough and plays in a really clean rhythm with Colorado’s offensive system, which he knows well.
Some negatives from his game are actually related to some his strengths. His high completion percentage has been linked to an overreliance on quick throws, screens, and checkdowns as only 23.7 percent of his completions at Colorado were on throws over 10 yards. Much of this has to do with a lack of elite arm strength, forcing him to rely on strong timing to float and arc throws in to his receivers with limited zip. When that elite timing falls apart on him, though, he can roll the snowball down the hill, backpedaling into pressure and holding on to the ball too long while trying to make something out of nothing. When plays fall apart, he has a tendency to get ultra-conservative, which avoids turnovers but doesn’t turn negative plays into positive plays, something Ward excels at. A lot of this stems, as well, from a general lack of mobility, a trait he failed to inherit from his father. 
Further concerns were raised about off-the-field aspects. Though Sanders has kept his nose clean off the field, some organizations came away from interviews with Sanders with concerns about his character, whether warranted or not we can’t necessarily say. There were also concerns about his leadership, mentality, and coachability on a team without his father as a coach, considering Deion has coached his son since their time in high school together.
Regardless of these concerns, Sanders has shown that he can overcome his shortcomings to find some success at the collegiate level. It remains to be seen whether he can find that same success without a Heisman winner weapon to throw to or his father as a mentor and coach to support him, but Sanders has done enough at this point to warrant a first- or second-round chance. While Sanders’ elite timing and ability to avoid turnovers makes him one of the most pro-ready passers in the class, he may project best on a team with whom he can sit, learn, and develop, a team with a veteran in place that Sanders can either beat out or learn from.
Later this week, we’ll find out which locker room he’ll be joining. And, in May, when the rookies report to camp, we’ll begin to see just how well he fares out from under the shadows of his father and Hunter.
Steelers Have 1st-Round Grade On Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart
The Steelers have a first-round grade on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, though that does not mean they’ll prioritize the position over other needs in next week’s draft.
Instead, Dulac writes, Pittsburgh will likely target a defensive lineman or even a running back with their first-round pick. Both positions have projected top-10 picks (Michigan’s Mason Graham, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) who are not expected to fall to the Steelers with multiple second-tier talents that should be available at No. 21.
The team’s defensive line targets include Georgia’s Walter Nolen, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, and Michigan’s Kenneth Grant, per Dulac. At running back, Pittsburgh could target North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton or Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson, though they may wait until Day 2 to pick from a deep class.
Pittsburgh used 17 of their top-30 pre-draft visits on defensive linemen and running backs, another indication that their first-round pick will target one of the two positions.
The Steelers’ top brass also did their homework on this year’s quarterback class. They have a first-round grade on Dart and “really like” Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, per Dulac, making both potential options with the 21st round pick if the talent at DL and RB thins out. The team also scouted a number of Day 2 quarterbacks via pro days and top-30 visits.
Ultimately, though, it’s hard to believe that the Steelers would pass up the opportunity to draft a potential franchise quarterback after cycling through a half-dozen starters since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. They may still sign Aaron Rodgers to start this year, but they have no long-term options on the roster and a clear desire to add one. It would be strange to have first-round grades on Dart and potentially Sanders but prioritize other positions when quarterback is such a dire need in 2025 and beyond.