The Pittsburgh Steelers made a slightly surprising pick in the fourth round of the draft by taking Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer. Going into this draft, that position didn’t seem like a huge need. However, it sounds like the team has a high opinion of Sawyer. That helps add a lot of youth to their defensive front. Cam Heyward is the veteran there, and while he and Sawyer don’t play the same position, it sounds like they already have a relationship built.
“I’ve talked to Cam Hayward a few times,” Sawyer said on a call to local media members after the Steelers drafted him. “He is obviously one of the best human beings there is, and one of the best football players that has ever played the game.
“Him being an Ohio State guy too, I’m excited to hopefully get to learn a lot of stuff from him as well. I’m excited to go play with big Cam and all the rest of the great defensive players that we have on our roster.”
Heyward is an Ohio State alumnus, so it makes sense that he and Sawyer have interacted in the past. Heyward still has a lot of pride in his old home, even though he left college over a decade ago. Despite being part of different generations, Sawyer and Heyward still seem to be familiar with each other.
Sawyer should be an outside linebacker for the Steelers. Therefore, he’ll likely find himself working and learning more with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. However, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing for Heyward to teach him.
On the field, Heyward can still do so much, even though he’s been in the league since 2011. He likely knows so many tricks of the trade that could help Sawyer. Heyward can probably help Sawyer with a ton of things off the field, too. Like Sawyer says, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better human being in the NFL than Heyward. He’s a fantastic role model.
Heyward’s longevity is impressive as well. He might be able to help a young player like Sawyer take care of his body. The Steelers also added two defensive linemen in Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black. Heyward shouldn’t have trouble trying to pass on everything he knows to younger players.
