The Pittsburgh Steelers have done a great job when it comes to attacking the draft in recent years, and what has been impressive has been the organization's ability to find players in later rounds that can contribute almost immediately. This was seen in 2024 with right guard Mason McCormick after he was picked in the fourth round, and he seems to be the future of the position in Pittsburgh. Nick Herbig, Spencer Anderson, and Jack Sawyer were also all Day 3 picks, and each of them played a major role for Pittsburgh in 2025. Finding value late in the draft is how a franchise can become a contender, and Pittsburgh has done well in that regard.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan speaking with members of the media.
Pittsburgh did great drafting on the defensive side of the ball in 2025. Both Sawyer and Yahya Black were Day 3 picks that made an impact for the team, and they each showed that they can be consistent contributors moving forward. Sawyer made a ton of splash plays in his limited opportunities, and the young outside linebacker should eventually get a bigger role in Pittsburgh.
Former Pittsburgh quarterback Charlie Batch spoke about Sawyer on a recent episode of the Snap Count, and he shared that he believes the defender could eventually be a starter.
"This is a guy who continues on the upside, that has a lot of potential, and he's gonna continue to evolve." Batch said. "The one thing that stood out for me was going back and watching that Detroit Lions game. Minus TJ Watt, you knew all the attention was gonna go to Jack Sawyer, and he stepped up in a big way, and he proved that he can be a starter in this league."
It was going to be hard for Sawyer to see the field during his rookie year in 2025 due to the amount of talent Pittsburgh has at outside linebacker. TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith are obvious starters, while Herbig is another player who would probably start on any other team. Sawyer had to fill in several times as guys got hurt throughout the year, and he did not disappoint.
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Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer stands alongside his teammates during the National Anthem prior to participating in a professional football game.
Sawyer played in all 17 games for Pittsburgh, and started one game during his rookie year. The game he started was against the Detroit Lions, and he recorded five total tackles, two quarterback hits, and put consistent pressure on the pocket throughout the game. He also played a big role in slowing down Detroit's dangerous running game. Batch's co-host also spoke about Sawyer and what he did during his rookie season, and he seemed to be impressed as well.
"Jack Sawyer came through in a big way." Essex said. "Whenever he was around the ball, it was a splash play. He definitely showed up in a big way, especially when TJ went down with the lung injury. And I think he played a lot more and a lot better than a lot of people thought. I think he adds a lot of great depth to this team. I think Jack Sawyer's gonna be a very big part of this team moving forward.”
The rookie only had one sack during the regular season, but he still was in on some big plays. He had four pass breakups and two interceptions on the year, and he also had a strip sack in the Wild Card Round against CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans.
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Steelers linebacker TJ Watt (90) and linebacker Alex Highsmith (56) during a regular season matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.
Steelers Will Be Able To Trust Jack Sawyer To Step Into Starting Role
When an organization has a ton of talent at one spot, it is hard to keep that talent. Herbig is going into the final year of his rookie deal. Highsmith is under contract through the 2027, but the franchise can get out of his deal fairly easily during the 2027 offseason.
Watt is under contract through 2028. Sawyer is around until at least 2028, and one or two of those other three is probably not going to be on the roster in 2027. A starting job could be coming for Sawyer, but he is definitely going to have to keep improving.
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