When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Ohio State pass rusher Jack Sawyer in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, it was a bit of a confusing moving considering roster needs elsewhere. But it did shore up depth in a significant way at the outside linebacker position.
Through three preseason games, there’s some concern about Sawyer, who didn’t flash all that much compared to other rookies. Sawyer played 100 snaps in the preseason for the Steelers, and while he didn’t record a sack, he had two quarterback hits and generated eight total pressures.
Sawyer’s high motor was evident throughout training camp and the preseason, but for NFL.com’s Chad Reuter, the lack of twitch and bend coming off the edge was evident, raising some concerns about him moving forward. That said, Reuter still gave Sawyer a “B” grade coming out of the final preseason game.
“Sawyer looked like a solid backup for T.J. Watt in the Steelers’ win over the Panthers. He maintained leverage to force run plays inside and beat the right tackle twice for tackles for loss in the third quarter,” Reuter writes regarding Sawyer. “He hustled to stop receivers downfield and made a tackle on kickoff coverage. However, Sawyer’s lack of twitch and bend as a pass rusher were evident.
“He was slow on twists, although he did deflect a pass on a twist in the first half.”
In those 100 snaps in the preseason, Sawyer graded out at a 73.2 overall from Pro Football Focus, which included a 67.9 against the run and a 72.2 rushing the passer. Despite being an experienced piece coming out of college with a great deal of playing time and success, the NFL is a different animal, and what worked in college won’t always work in the NFL.
Sawyer found that out in the preseason.
As Steelers Depot’s Ross McCorkle noted in his film room, Sawyer lacked some pass rush discipline, staying within his lanes and remaining a key part of the puzzle rushing the passer, keeping the quarterback in the pocket.
But outside of that and the lack of twitch in his game (which was clear on tape coming out of college, too), Sawyer was a fundamentally sound defender. He had just one missed tackle in the preseason and was consistently in the right spot against the run.
Should something happen to the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith or Nick Herbig this season, and Sawyer needs to play snaps defensively, the Steelers should feel confident in the rookie being on the field. He looks like a solid backup right now.
Moving forward, though, it’s fair to wonder if there’s anything more to his game than that. The lack of twitch and bend was noticeable on tape in college, and it carried over to his 100 snaps defensively in the preseason. Still, the foundation is good with Sawyer, and that’s encouraging for a No. 4 OLB.
