Former Ohio State Buckeye Jack Sawyer poised to have stellar NFL career

The Ohio State Buckeyes lost out on Jack Sawyer at the end of last year's national championship-winning campaign.

The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive end declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and was taken in the fourth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sawyer, a gifted and athletic freak off the edge, was highly touted by multiple scouts, with various analysts believing he could have gone in the top two rounds of the draft if the need was there for NFL teams.

His selection in the draft came as no surprise, as many Buckeyes have gone on to play at the next level and find success.

In his final season with the Buckeyes, he posted a career-high 59 tackles, nine for a loss and nine sacks. He also forced three fumbles, recovered three and took two to the endzone for touchdowns. His versatility on the defensive side of the ball set him up for success at the next level.

And being drafted by a defensively-stout team like Pittsburgh certainly helped his ceiling at the pro level.

The 23-year-old is quietly having a great start in the NFL through his first six games. He has 15 tackles, two for a loss and one sack, all while contributing two pass deflections in the passing game. To say he is effective in the passing and rushing game is obvious.

His best game of the season so far came back on Sept. 14, where the Steelers fell to the Seattle Seahawks, 31-17. In the loss, he had seven tackles, two for a loss and one sack. He played 40% of defensive snaps that game.

However, that was the most he has played this season.

It's difficult to stand out in an edge rusher room that contains arguably the most dominant trio in the league, one that includes a future Hall of Famer in TJ Watt. On the season, Sawyer is currently averaging a measly 22.2% of defensive snaps played. Outside of the game against the Seahawks, his usage has been bleak with marks of 29.3%, 23.4%, 17.1%, 14.9% and 14.5%.

Its clear that his lack of playing time is hindering a bit of his overall impact, but there's no question that when he's out there on the field, he's making use of his time.

And with Pittsburgh's success, they probably aren't willing to lean into development as much as they are direct, winning results.

The Steelers sit at an overall record of 4-2, placing them first in the AFC North Division, and have pieced together a season-high three-game winning streak early in the campaign.

Sawyer has carved out a nice role in the organization as a solid run stopper, with glimpses of sneaky speed and athleticism to contribute in the pass-rush department.

If he can continue to get looks from the coaching staff and push himself deeper into the rotation, there's a real possibility Sawyer's name can emerge in the end-of-season voting for NFL Rookie of the Year.

He showed his lethality to opposing team's quarterbacks in college. It's only a matter of time he does it at a higher rate in the NFL as well.