Edge rusher is one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ biggest strengths with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig one of the best trios in the league. However, that didn’t stop the Steelers from adding to that room in the draft. In the fourth round, they made a slightly surprising pick by selecting Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer. While edge wasn’t a huge need for the Steelers, they have a high opinion of Sawyer, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo.
“He makes big plays,” Fittipaldo said recently on the Armstrong Neighborhood Channel. “If you go back to the college football playoffs, that scoop and score really sealed that game for them. The Steelers were actually pleasantly surprised that he was still there in Round 4 at Pick 123.
“If you look at some of the rankings out there, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah had him as his number 70th prospect. That’s an early third-round pick. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had him as a second- or a third-round pick. To get that guy in the fourth round, I think it’s an excellent pick by Omar Khan.”
Many analysts indeed had Sawyer rated higher than his draft slot. He had a successful career at Ohio State, playing four seasons there. In that time, Sawyer racked up 144 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 23 sacks, one interception, and six forced fumbles.
Fittipaldo is correct that Sawyer played some of his best ball last year, too, specifically in the playoffs. His strip-sack of Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers essentially ended that game, propelling Ohio State to the national championship game, which it would also win.
However, there are reasons why Sawyer was available in the fourth round. He’s not a great athlete, and he’s got short arms for his size, which could limit his upside as an NFL pass rusher. Teams might’ve felt more comfortable taking a shot on players who seem to have higher ceilings.
Despite those issues, Sawyer still has strengths that make him valuable to the Steelers. For instance, he’s a solid run defender, and Pittsburgh could’ve used more players like that last season. The Steelers got gashed on the ground too many times. Their 2025 draft class showed that they are committed to changing that.
The Steelers, barring injuries, won’t need Sawyer to play a big role this season. That should allow him to develop into a quality NFL player. In the last few years, the Steelers have done a good job of developing edge rushers. Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig are perfect examples. The Steelers clearly see something in Sawyer. We’ll see what kind of heights he can reach in the NFL.
