The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Ohio State EDGE Jack Sawyer with the No. 123 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and his mentality is one that Steelers fans should love. Speaking to the media on a conference call shortly after being selected, Sawyer talked about what he will bring to the Steelers’ defenses.
“I think for me, I just try to play the game as physical and tough as I possibly can. And setting the edge, playing the run, it’s all about manhood on manhood. And for me, that’s kind of who I am as a man. And I love the storied defenses we’ve had throughout Pittsburgh and the toughness they play with, and I can’t wait to be a part of that,” Sawyer said via audio provided by the team.
Pittsburgh’s defense, and really the team as a whole, has long been built on toughness and physicality, and Sawyer should bring that to the Steelers. He was a key piece and the heart and soul of Ohio State’s national championship-winning defense last season, and he’ll have plenty of mentors to learn from in Pittsburgh, with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith in the same room as him.
While Sawyer’s length isn’t great — he measured with 31 3/4″ arms at the NFL Combine — he was a playmaker throughout his Ohio State career and should provide some pass-rush juice as a backup outside linebacker with a lot of strong traits that should help him defend the run. The Steelers have had no issues with Nick Herbig, who also has shorter arms for the position, and Sawyer’s attitude should play well in Pittsburgh.
The Steelers got to know Sawyer well throughout the pre-draft process, meeting with him formally at the Combine and also having dinner with him ahead of his Pro Day. In an interview with NFL Network during the draft, Mike Tomlin said the same thing about Sawyer that he said about first-round pick Derrick Harmon, that he has “Steeler DNA,” and his mentality certainly seems to indicate that.
Sawyer’s attitude is something that could help him quickly become a fan favorite, and it’ll be interesting to see how the Steelers utilize him with Watt, Highsmith and Herbig ahead of him. But the value of taking Jack Sawyer in the fourth was too good for the Steelers to pass up, and he’s a player who could really make an impact for Pittsburgh.
