📄: Fourth Round: Jack Sawyer | 📸: Jack Sawyer in pictures | 📺: Pick Announcement | 📃: How Sawyer fits with the Steelers | 📃: What to like about Sawyer | 📺: Tomlin calls Sawyer | 📺: Austin on Sawyer | 📺: Welcome to Pittsburgh
The Steelers selected Ohio State linebacker Jack Sawyer in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the 123rd overall pick.
"This guy is really good, tough," said defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. "Unbelievable intangibles. Football character. He also has a knack for making plays when you need. You see him make a lot of big plays at crunch. It tells me he is a guy who is going to show up when you need him.
"Unbelievable across the board. No holes about who he is and what he is about. I think he will fit in nicely in our room.
"When you have a guy who has all of the qualities he has, and the intangibles, and winning attitude, those things are hard to pass up."
Sawyer takes bring in those intangibles, in particular in his toughness which he brings to all aspects of his game.
"I try to play the game as physical and as tough as I possibly can," said Sawyer. "Setting an edge and playing the run is all about manhood on manhood. And for me that's kind of who I am as a guy, as a man. And, I love the storied defenses we've had throughout Pittsburgh and the toughness they play with. And I can't wait to bring a part of that with me."
Sawyer appeared in 53 career games, starting 29 consecutive games to finish his career. He finished with 138 tackles, 65 of them solo stops. He added 20 sacks and 25.5 tackles for a loss. He also had 11 passes defensed, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and one interception.
"When you look at him, he is a smart guy," said Austin. "He understands the game. He gets himself on edges and knows when to rush. He knows when to bull rush. That's how guys have a knack for it. They really study. They understand the game. They understand situations. He takes advantage of all of that instead of just playing."
Sawyer appeared in 16 games in 2024, finishing with a career-high 59 tackles, 25 of them solo stops. He also had nine sacks and nine tackles for a loss, both of them career highs.
He said getting the call from the Steelers was a dream for him and can't wait to get to work.
"I love it," said Sawyer. "It's a dream come true to be able to play in the National Football League and for such a storied franchise like the Pittsburgh Steelers and a coach like Mike Tomlin. It's just a dream come true.
"I love Mike Tomlin. I love all the rest of the staff, and I thought it'd be a great fit, the way they run their organization. I'm just so excited to add value anywhere I can to this team."
Sawyer said he is looking forward to learning from the veterans at outside linebacker, including T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
"I love the defensive scheme that we have. And those guys are great players. I'm excited to come in and learn from them and see how they go to work. And like I said, just add value in any way or shape or form I can to the organization and to the city and to team."
Take a look at photos of Pittsburgh Steelers fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer
Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer, top, runs for a touchdown after recovering a fumble by Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, bottom, during the second half of the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) is hit by Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer during the first half in the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Ohio State defensive lineman Jack Sawyer plays against Michigan during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)
Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) rushes during the Cotton Bowl College Football Playoff semifinal game against Texas, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer looks on during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Purdue, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in West Lafayette, Ind. Ohio State won 41-7. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez (2) passes under pressure from Ohio State's Jack Sawyer (33) during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, Neb. (AP Photo/Rebecca S. Gratz)
Michigan offensive lineman Trevor Keegan blocks Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. Michigan won 30-24. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer lines up during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Notre Dame, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2022, in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State won 21-10. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer, top, sacks Missouri quarterback Brady Cook during the second half of the Cotton Bowl NCAA college football game Friday, Dec. 29, 2023, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez)
Ohio State's Jack Sawyer (33) is seen pre-game against Marshall before an NCAA football game on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
Honors & Awards
2024: Graduated in December with his degree in sport industry, second-team all-Big Ten Conference (coaches), Academic All-Big
2023: Honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference (coaches), Academic All-Big Ten Conference, OSU Scholar-Athlete
2022: Honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference (coaches)
Full College Bio:
CAREER: Team captain as a senior and helped lead Ohio State to the College Football Playoff national championship ... Played in all 55 games the past four seasons and started 29 games consecutively in 2023 and 2024 ... In the four CFP games, he had 13 tackles, seven pass breakups, 4.5 sacks and two quarterback hurries, and he was named the Defensive MVP of the Cotton Bowl ... Four-year (2021-24) career totals include 144 tackles, 28.5 tackles for loss, 23.0 sacks, six forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, 15 quarterback hurries and 11 pass breakups ... His 23.0 sacks rank eighth in Ohio State history.
2024: Earned Second Team All-Big Ten Conference honors (coaches) ... Registered 59 tackles, nine tackles for loss (all of them sacks), three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries eight quarterback hurries and seven pass breakups.
2023: Second Team All-Big Ten Conference honors (media) ... Third Team All-Big Ten Conference honors (coaches) ... Ranked second among all defensive linemen with 48 tackles and led all linemen with 24 solo stops ... His tackle totals included team-high totals of 10 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks ... Recorded three quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups ... Recorded personal best six tackles in 2023 three times: vs. Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan.
2022: Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Conference (coaches) ... Recorded 24 tackles, including the third-most tackles for loss with 6.5 ... Registered 4.5 sacks.
2021: Contributed 13 total tackles, including 3.0 tackles for loss (all sacks) as a true freshman ... Recorded one pass breakup, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
PERSONAL: Earned OSU Scholar-Athlete in 2023 and an Academic All-Big Ten Conference honoree in both 2023 and 2024 ... Graduated in December 2024 with his degree in sport industry ... Highest-rated prospect in Ohio State's 2021 recruiting class according to 247Sports ... Five-star player who is the No. 1 overall player in Ohio, No. 4 player nationally and the nation's No. 3-ranked defensive end ... Did not play his senior season at Pickerington North ... As a junior, was the OCC-Ohio Division Defensive Player of the Year ... Registered 37 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks ... An exceptional athlete, also played quarterback for Pickerington North and led them to the Division I, Region 3 playoffs ... Completed 79 of 135 passes for 1,056 yards and nine TDs before an injury cut his season short ... Also played basketball at Pickerington North where he made the varsity team as a freshman ... His father, Lyle, played football at Findlay College and his mother, Michelle, was a star basketball player at Pickerington ... His grandfather played in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system.
