T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. They’re the “Big Three” of Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE rushers dominating the conversation after Herbig’s $100 million extension earlier this month.
Is there an odd man out? How will all three get on the field? What does the future hold?
With three highly-paid players, that’s where the attention should be. Still, it’s made the fourth man on the depth chart, Jack Sawyer, forgotten. So what’s his 2026 role?
If the group is healthy, Sawyer will remain the No. 4. He’s coming off a solid rookie season. It didn’t come with a ton of flash, just one sack, but he did a bit of everything.
Mike Tomlin wasn’t wrong when he said the sun is always shining on Jack Sawyer. The ball had a way of finding him, picking off two passes, breaking up four total throws, and making three tackles for a loss.
He added another big play in the Wild Card loss, sniffing out a flea flicker to force a sack/fumble on QB CJ Stroud, recovered by fellow rookie Yahya Black.
Sawyer’s best trait was his run defense. Built like an old-school Steelers outside linebacker, he’s big and strong and technical against the run. These two early reps against the Detroit Lions showed it well, Sawyer the ROLB in both.
He also impressed on special teams. A five-star recruit, Sawyer didn’t work on special teams at Ohio State. He had to learn to love the phase in the NFL and helped clear lanes in the return game.
Ke'Shawn Williams' 37 yard KR. Great job by Sawyer and Herbig to clear the lane. Holcomb ran his feet too, though that was closer to a block in the back with how often it gets called.
Steelers longest kick return since mid-2023. pic.twitter.com/SyHwTYMOxH
— Alex Kozora (@Alex_Kozora) October 22, 2025
In fact, Jack Sawyer led the Steelers with 340 special teams snaps and ranked in the top 35 across the NFL.
It was a successful rookie year. What do the right steps in 2026 look like? That’s a little hard to project.
The health of the group in front plays an obvious role. The healthier Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig are, the fewer chances Sawyer will have. But it’s hard to bank on the group being available start to finish. It’s a key reason why the Steelers drafted Sawyer in the first place.
One injury takes Sawyer from No. 4 to an important No. 3, and Pittsburgh must have quality depth. They’ve been burned without it before.
Statistically, more than one sack should be the aim. Sawyer’s issue out of college was a lack of ceiling. He isn’t a great athlete and lacks bend. Can he make any strides in the NFL? Maybe, but his focus should be on winning with his size and power. A speed bull rush could be a go-to move to collapse pockets and generate gritty pressures.
Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig are all established. That makes Sawyer interesting. A second-year player with good rookie tape wanting to build upon it for his sophomore season. A player to watch in training camp.
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