The Athletic’s Dane Brugler is one of the most plugged-in and talented draft analysts, and his ‘The Beast’ draft guide is the most detailed look at draft prospects. Within the guide, Brugler ranks every prospect, and Steelers fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer was ranked No. 58 and given a second-round grade by Brugler. With the Steelers taking Sawyer at No. 123 overall in the fourth round, Brugler [named Sawyer one of the biggest steals](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6350175/2025/05/14/nfl-draft-2025-sleepers-shedeur-sanders-the-beast/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=discord) of the draft class.
“The biggest knocks on Sawyer were his subpar measurables (31 3/4-inch arms) and the lack of bend or nuance in his pass-rush plan. However, not many defenders in this class played with more passion or effort than Sawyer, who always seemed to find a way to make an impact for the national champion Buckeyes.”
We noted after the selection that [getting Sawyer in the fourth round was “very good”](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/04/evaluating-the-value-ohio-state-edge-jack-sawyer/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CJack%20Sawyer%20is%20a%20sturdy,or%20bend%20around%20the%20corner.) value.
Sawyer was a captain at Ohio State, and he’s bringing the perfect attitude to Pittsburgh. Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was impressed by Sawyer, and said he believes that he could be a future captain for the Steelers. Outside of his “Steelers DNA,” a key theme within this draft class, Sawyer has been a really productive player and could make an impact for the Steelers.
Off the bat, he’s expected to be a core special teamer for Pittsburgh, and he’ll likely see 5-10 snaps a game on defense. His ability to set the edge against the run is one of his better traits, and that’s a benefit for a Steelers team that had lapses against the run last year and allowed 299 yards in their Wild Card Round playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
While his arms are on the shorter side at 31 1/4″, the same is true for Nick Herbig, who came out of Wisconsin with arms that measured the exact same length. Sawyer’s bend may be a concern, but the power he plays with has allowed him to make a real impact getting after the quarterback, with 23 career sacks including nine last season.
With Jack Sawyer getting into a room that features T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Herbig, he’ll have plenty of people to learn from and grow and develop his game. It’s an ideal situation for Sawyer, and some of those concerns could be minimized if he gets to work with his new teammates and works on developing more of a pass-rush plan and new moves. Either way, Sawyer was a solid selection and even with the concerns, was great value for the Steelers.