If Steelers OLB Jack Sawyer strikes you as a guy Mike Vrabel would like, there’s probably a good reason. They are similar size and build, both coming out of Ohio State, both drafted by the Steelers. Both were mid-round picks, entering a crowded room. For Sawyer, it’s T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith (and Nick Herbig). For Vrabel, it was Greg Lloyd and Jason Gildon.
Since his fourth-round selection by the Steelers, it’s no surprise that Jack Sawyer has drawn comparisons to Mike Vrabel. One only hopes, of course, that his career takes a different path. Vrabel only flourished after he departed Pittsburgh to find more opportunities. Given the Steelers’ current depth chart, well, we’ll have to see what the next four years look like.
“A lot of people have compared him to Mike Vrabel”, Ray Fittipaldo said of Sawyer on 93.7 The Fan. “Mike Vrabel was only here for a rookie contract. He didn’t go on to become ‘Mike Vrabel’ until he got to the Patriots after he left the Steelers. I think he’s a similar type of player”.
Vrabel, of course, has since pursued a coaching career, and is currently the head coach of the Patriots. He will host the Steelers and Jack Sawyer at some point in 2025, the schedule still not yet announced. And he knows a thing or two about the transition his fellow Ohio State alum is making.
Whether directly connecting him to Mike Vrabel or not, though, Jack Sawyer is being identified as a Steelers player. Take, for example, the assessment of former Pittsburgh RB Merril Hoge, who called him “a guy that had a Steeler feel to him” on the DVE Morning Show. “His toughness, the way he plays the game, he embodies how Steelers fans like to see you play. He is gonna play hard. He is gonna play all the time. He’s tough. He’s a good football player”.
Of course, like Vrabel, Sawyer will have to wait his turn and find a home on special teams. The Steelers drafted Sawyer simply because he represented value too good to pass up. Unlike perhaps in the past, Pittsburgh has two starters on long-term contracts it’s not necessarily looking to replace.
With a couple of young guys in the pipeline, though, it’s hard to predict what the next few years might hold. While the Steelers are likely to sign Watt to another extension this offseason, what about Highsmith? He is still under contract through 2027, but he has no more guaranteed money. If Sawyer really develops, could he find the opportunity with the Steelers that Mike Vrabel missed out on? The presence of Nick Herbig is yet another added wrinkle to this story we will have to watch unfold.
