Bypassing a quarterback again to start the third day of the NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers addressed defense for the second time when they took Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer in the fourth round Saturday.
Sawyer was the No. 123 overall pick. He was selected even with several quarterback prospects on the board, including Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders and Sawyer’s Ohio State teammate Will Howard.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound Sawyer provides depth at a position on the Steelers that includes starters T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith and third-year backup Nick Herbig. Watt, though, is entering the final season of his contract.
Sawyer was a four-year contributor and two-year starter for the Buckeyes. In Ohio State’s run to the national championship, Sawyer had 4.5 sacks and six pass breakups in the college football playoffs.
“He has a knack for making plays when needed,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “He made a lot of big plays at crunch time, which tells me he’s going to be the type of guy that shows up when plays are needed.”
For the season, Sawyer started all 16 games and registered 59 tackles, nine sacks, an interception and six pass breakups. He had 6.5 sacks as a junior.
“I just try to play the game as physical and tough as I can,” Sawyer said. “Setting an edge and playing the run is all about manhood on manhood. That’s who I am as a guy, as a man. I love the storied defenses we’ve had throughout Pittsburgh, and I can’t wait to bring a part of that with me.”
The Steelers were attracted to Sawyer because of his ability to stop the run. He joins first-round defensive tackle Derrick Harmon as players drafted with the team’s playoff loss to Baltimore fresh in their minds. The Steelers gave up 299 yards rushing in the 28-14 loss.
“You have to be able to set the edges and do those things,” Austin said. “In the AFC North, if you can’t stop the run, it’s going to be a problem.”
It is the second time in three years that the Steelers used a mid-round draft pick on an edge rusher from a Big Ten school. In 2023, they took Herbig from Wisconsin in the fourth round.
“We just really liked the player,” Austin said. “As you get further down in the draft … when you have a guy that has all the qualities that he has and the tangibles and the winning attitude — those things are hard to pass up.”
Growing up in the Columbus suburbs, Sawyer is happy to be staying relatively close to home.
“I thought it would be a great fit,” Sawyer said. “I love the way they run the organization. I’m excited to add value any way I can to this team.”