The Pittsburgh Steelers’ decision to pick Ohio State outside linebacker Jack Sawyer in the fourth round at No. 123 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft was rather surprising, considering outside linebacker wasn’t viewed as a big need. With the names on the board at the time, the Steelers could have addressed some key needs.
But in the end, the Steelers stayed true to their board and their philosophy and landed a heck of a football player and leader in Sawyer, giving them more depth and physicality at outside linebacker.
Longtime Steelers reporter and Pat McAfee Show correspondent Mark Kaboly appeared on the 93.7 The Fan Joe Show Wednesday with hosts Joe Starkey and Bob Pompeani and said Sawyer is one of his favorite Steelers draft picks.
“I know you’re looking at a fit right now and where is he gonna fit in when you got three really good edge rushers coming back for foreseeable future, too. But when you have a guy with that mentality, you, you saw it. Everybody saw the video after he got drafted. You gotta love a guy like that,” Kaboly said of Sawyer, according to video via 93.7 The Fan on YouTube. “He’s made plays in big situations, and you know, [Nick] Herbig, [T.J.] Watt and [Alex] Highsmith all have been injured at some point over the past couple seasons. So you always need at least four guys, at least. They don’t have to go out and find the Melvin Ingrams of the world now.
“At least this guy seems like, in the short term, he is a special teams monster. In the long term, he could be a six-year, seven-year, eight-year starter if everything works out fine. So, I like that pick a lot.”
There’s a lot to like when it comes to Sawyer. While he has short arms for the position and isn’t as athletic as you’d like off the edge, he brings a relentless motor and is quite productive.
Across four years at Ohio State, Sawyer played in 54 games and finished his Buckeyes career with 23 sacks, 29 tackles for loss, an interception, three fumble recoveries and one touchdown. That touchdown was the highlight of his career. He strip-sacked Texas QB Quinn Ewers and scooped the ball up and raced 82 yards for the game-sealing touchdown in the College Football Playoff semifinal, sending Ohio State to the national championship game.
Sometimes, players just have the feel of being a Steeler. That’s Sawyer. He’s old-school, no-nonsense in his approach, and is going to work his tail off to get better each and every day. He has a relentless drive that has been with him since high school, and he just fits what the Steelers want in a player, period, as head coach Mike Tomlin said after the selection.
While Sawyer might not have much of a role defensively in 2025 outside of maybe 5-7 snaps a game off the edge, he should be a key special teams piece for the Black and Gold right away. And if things work out for Sawyer in the NFL, he could develop into a good starter for the Steelers down the line, which would be quite the value for a fourth-round draft pick.
