If there’s one conference the Pittsburgh Steelers were fond of when it came to the 2025 NFL Draft, it was clearly the Big Ten. Pittsburgh drafted almost all of its selections out of that conference, including two Ohio State players, Jack Sawyer and Will Howard.
The two are starting to settle in Pittsburgh. Doing so, they each appeared on Tuesday’s episode of Footbahlin, the podcast hosted by former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben asked Sawyer about whether he’d have preferred to head to the Steelers before the draft.
“I wanted to go somewhere that’s got good vets in the room,” Sawyer said. “Who better to learn from than T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith?… Being in this culture and environment, it’s definitely a place where I wanted to be… Couldn’t be more happier or excited for it.”
Considering his position and desire to have quality vets to reach out to, Pittsburgh feels like one of the best possible landing spots for Sawyer. It was somewhat of a surprise when Pittsburgh took an OLB with their third draft selection. Part of the reason is because of the quality they already have at the position.
That helps Sawyer, though. T.J. Watt himself provides one of the best veterans Sawyer could possibly have wanted to mentor him. Elsewhere on the defensive line, Alex Highsmith, as Sawyer mentions, as well as Nick Herbig and Cam Heyward, could all help him.
One interesting caveat with Sawyer is that this will be his first time truly leaving home. He grew up in Columbus and stayed there in college at Ohio State. Columbus is only a few hours away from Pittsburgh, so when Roethlisberger asked Sawyer what team he rooted for growing up, it’s not surprising to hear him respond with the black and gold.
“My best friend growing up, and his family, the biggest Steelers fans you’re ever going to meet,” Sawyer said. “If anything, I know it’s cliche to say now, ’cause I got drafted by the Steelers, but I probably rooted for the Steelers more than anybody.”
If you ask any draft pick what team they root for growing up, most will try to relate it back to the team they were drafted by somehow. With Sawyer, this seems genuine, though. There’s no team in Columbus. With the Steelers being so close, and as historic and notable as they are, it’s not hard to believe.
Jack Sawyer’s role in his rookie year feels like a question mark. He’ll be in the rotation, no doubt. There are established players ahead of him on the depth chart, though. With that in mind, he may find it difficult to make a huge impact in year one. As we move forward, though, he’ll be a fun player to watch develop.
