Player: OLB Jack Sawyer
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: The Steelers’ fourth-round selection of OLB Jack Sawyer didn’t address a big need, but did represent positional and draft value. He will come in as the fourth edge defender, but will focus on special teams as a rookie. Perhaps he could develop into a starter in the future when one of T.J. Watt or Alex Highsmith departs.
When the Steelers drafted Jack Sawyer, many fans’ immediate reaction might have been confusion. With only six draft picks and none in the second, why do you use a fourth-round pick on a linebacker? After all, they already have T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig, and people love to think that Herbig would start for most teams.
Perhaps we’ll be talking about Jack Sawyer in the same vein in a year or two—or perhaps not. Herbig is a little flashier than Sawyer, who is bigger and can do more of the dirty work. That’s not to say that Herbig is a one-trick pony, by any means.
In fact, I almost wonder if the Steelers drafting Jack Sawyer is making people reappraise Herbig. Lately, we’ve heard a lot of talk about complementary (read: differing) skill sets. For example, Herbig is the pass-rushing rotational player, and Sawyer is the run-stuffing reserve. But really, both of them have a complete skill set, and Herbig embraces the run game.
This is about Jack Sawyer, though, and we haven’t even come close to seeing him on the field yet. While he showed playmaking skills at the college level, Herbig has done that in the NFL. The rookie will have to start from the bottom and work his way up, which means 300-plus snaps on special teams. That said, don’t be surprised if the Steelers employ a more robust four-man rotation at outside linebacker this year.
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
