The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Ohio State EDGE Jack Sawyer in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft a little under a month ago, snagging the former Buckeye and College Football Playoff National Champion at what was seen as a good value to start Day 3 of the draft. Pittsburgh added Sawyer to a room already boasting T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig, giving them a formidable quartet on the edge of their defensive front.
While Sawyer is a capable pass rusher with 23 sacks in his college career (nine last season), his best play may come as a rugged run defender. According to Pro Football Focus, Sawyer boasted an 87.2 overall grade as a run defender this past season, ranking higher than his grades as a pass rusher (79.9). He has the size to operate well on the edge as a run defender (6042, 260 pounds), and the tape backs that up.
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What sticks out immediately about Jack Sawyer from his tape as a run defender is his combination of strength at the point of attack and effort in pursuit. He does a great job striking his opponent’s chest and either driving him back or shedding the block to pursue the ball carrier. We see the latter below against Penn State as Sawyer rips off the block attempt and runs down the ball carrier to the sideline, finishing the tackle.
Sawyer doesn’t have the best length for the position (31 3/4-inch arms), but he uses his arms well to create distance between himself and the blocker when setting the edge. Watch the clips below of Sawyer striking his opponent and fighting off the block to make the stop near the line of scrimmage for no gain on both plays.
Jack Sawyer can sometimes get a little ahead of himself, like in the clip below, getting a little too far upfield. However, he quickly redirects and makes the stop behind the line of scrimmage for a loss on the play.
He will do a good job most of the time, playing with his shoulders square to the line and be able to fight off either side to hunt down the runner, like we see in the second clip against Wisconsin. He engages the blocker but manages to cross his face and get in on the tackle, ripping the ball out to force the fumble.
Sawyer can be physical and violent with his hands, but he also does a great job shooting gaps against the run and working through trash near the line of scrimmage. Watch this clip below against Iowa where Sawyer swims over one down blocker and manages to get to the ball carrier before the other blocker can get a hand on him, making the stop on new Steelers’ teammate Kaleb Johnson for a loss of yardage.
In the second clip, watch Jack Sawyer crash down the line of scrimmage against Penn State, evading one block attempt as he B-lines it straight for the runner, making the stop for a minimal gain on the play.
While Pittsburgh could use more help to improve its sack numbers from a season ago (40), the biggest cause for concern was its run defense, which struggled at times during the regular season and got exposed against the Baltimore Ravens. They allowed 220 rushing yards to them in Week 16 and a whopping 299 yards in the Wildcard Playoff game, which effectively sealed their fate.
Pittsburgh wasn’t messing around when looking to improve its run defense this offseason. They drafted DL Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black and brought in Sawyer, who will improve their run defense on snaps where either Watt or Highsmith is out of the game, limiting the dropoff in play from Pittsburgh’s starter to their next rotation.
The Steelers want to return to being the bully on defense, and Jack Sawyer fits the bill as a rugged run defender who embodies the culture Pittsburgh wants to embrace. He will see the field as a rookie in that facet to give Watt and Highsmith a breather, and his opportunities will only grow the more he shows his effectiveness setting the edge against the run.
