When the Pittsburgh Steelers found themselves on the clock at No. 123 overall in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they could have gone a number of ways with the selection: double-dipping along the defensive line, adding a versatile offensive lineman to develop, taking a swing on a quarterback, or adding a cornerback who fits the mold.
Instead, the Steelers addressed outside linebacker, landing Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer. They added to a robust position group that features future Hall of Famer T.J. Watt, as well as Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.
It wasn’t exactly a position of need, but the Steelers did what they normally do, which is focus on defense and make a strength all that much stronger.
For team captain and All-Pro defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, landing Sawyer is exciting because it’s not only another Ohio State product in the Black and Gold, it’s adding another good pass rusher to the mix. That should help the Steelers ensure that a guy like Watt is fresh for fourth quarters of games, which should lead to the Steelers creating even more havoc while rushing the passer.
Appearing on the latest episode of his podcast “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” from J.R. Mahon’s pub in Ireland, Heyward praised the selection of Sawyer.
“I think we were always looking for a third or fourth outside linebacker along with Nick Herbig. So, you know, when you’re able to have interchangeability between T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and then bring on a Nick Herbig and a Jack Sawyer, that’s a hell of a rotation,” Heyward said of the Steelers’ OLB room, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “It only creates for more havoc on the field, keeps T.J. Fresh, keeps Alex fresh.
“And we know when we get T.J. Watt fresh in the fourth quarter, that kills a lot of teams. So, I’m looking forward to having that.”
In the past, the Steelers have attempted to find that serviceable No. 4 OLB who can handle 5-10 snaps a game, taking some wear and tear off the likes of Watt and Highsmith, and in some cases even Herbig. It’s been a challenge though. Markus Golden was a good No. 4 OLB who knew his role and played it well. They tried to run that back last season, but Golden abruptly retired during training camp just eight days after he re-signed with the Steelers.
Jeremiah Moon was the No. 4 at times last season, but he was mostly impactful on special teams and didn’t offer much on defense.
Now, the hope is Sawyer can do both and make an impact when on the field defensively, allowing outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin to rotate players more and keep Watt and Highsmith fresh for the fourth quarter of games.
Of Watt’s 108.0 career sacks, 80.0 have come in Steelers wins. Additionally, Watt does his best work when games are tight. According to Pro Football Reference, 70.0 of Watt’s sacks have come with the game in the balance between 0-7 points.
The Steelers like to play tight, low-scoring games, and having Watt fresh in the fourth quarter can be huge. That’s where Sawyer will be most impactful, providing enough serviceable reps defensively to allow Watt or Highsmith to come off the field and get a blow early in games so that they can be full-go in the fourth quarter with games in the balance.
For Heyward, that’s what he’s most excited to see. That Sawyer is an Ohio State product, too, is the cherry on top.
Sawyer is just the latest in a long line of Ohio State players to play for the Steelers. He’s one of five Buckeyes on the offseason roster, including Heyward, linebacker Malik Harrison, punter Cameron Johnston and fellow rookie, QB Will Howard.
The Ohio State defensive pipeline to Pittsburgh is strong, and features players from the past and present like Heyward and linebacker Ryan Shazier. That Ohio State-Steelers connection isn’t anywhere close to the Wisconsin connection, but for Heyward, it’s all about the scheme the Buckeyes run and how that translates to Pittsburgh.
“Similar scheme. I think on defense especially, it’s a hybrid defense,” Heyward said when asked why Ohio State guys tend to translate to the NFL faster. “You play 3-4, you play 4-3. So, it allows a player to excel at the next level ’cause he’s prepared for that.”
Hopefully playing in that hybrid defense at Ohio State and now landing in Pittsburgh with a similar scheme allows Sawyer to hit the ground running and have an impact quickly in the Black and Gold. That would help keep guys like Watt and Highsmith fresh entering fourth quarters of games so they can create more havoc and put games away with the pass rush.
Check out the full episode of “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward” below.
