The Pittsburgh Steelers certainly didn’t have a need at outside linebacker heading into this year’s NFL Draft. They had T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith at the position already, as well as a youngster in Nick Herbig. Yet, the Steelers still found it necessary to select Jack Sawyer in the fourth round.
Despite being so stacked at the position already, Pittsburgh felt that Sawyer was too good an option to pass up in Round 4. And although he hasn’t made the biggest impact through four weeks, OLB coach Denzel Martin loves what he’s seeing from the rookie.
“He just keeps getting better and better too, man,” Sawyer said Wednesday via Post-Gazette Steelers on YouTube. “That’s a guy that we’re talking about, yeah you may not get that many reps as a pass rusher. But you got to be hell on wheels when it comes to special teams, and things like that. He’s just getting better every week, too. I love him. This moment’s not too big for him at all. So I love Jack.”
As Martin mentions, Jack Sawyer hasn’t gotten a ton of chances to rush the passer. That’s somewhat surprising with Highsmith out due to an ankle injury. However, Watt and Herbig have already shown their worth time and time again and are going to get reps over Sawyer in that role. Through four games, Sawyer has played just 65 defensive snaps, 23 percent of the team’s total.
That said, special teams are the perfect avenue for rookies like Sawyer to make an impact. He’s getting a lot of time in that department, with 81 snaps on the season already. And he’s certainly taking advantage of those opportunities. Sawyer has 14 tackles and is coming off a good showing against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Defensively, he already has his NFL first sack, notching it a couple of weeks ago against the Seattle Seahawks.
He does have some things to clean up. Jack Sawyer’s missed three tackles on the year, a rate of 17.6 percent. But that’s a small sample size, and he’s only four games into his career. With Pittsburgh stacked at his position, it’s unclear whether he’ll get more of a chance defensively as time goes on. For now, the Steelers know they have a motivated and talented youngster, one who’s willing to stick his nose in the fire whenever necessary.
