Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2026 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with two players each day between June 13 and July 28. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
OLB JACK SAWYER
Experience/age: second season, 24
Contract status: $1.24 million cap hit in 2026, signed through 2028
The past: A Columbus, Ohio-area native, Sawyer played four seasons for hometown Ohio State. He started for the 2023 and 2024 Buckeyes, the latter winning the College Football Playoff in part because of Sawyer’s stellar play during the tournament. That certainly caught the eye of the Steelers, who drafted him in the fourth round last year.
Joining a stacked position room with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, Sawyer slotted in as the No. 4 outside linebacker as a rookie for the Steelers. That those three missed a combined nine games because of injury helped boost Sawyer’s playing time. He appeared in one-quarter of the Steelers’ defensive snaps last season, though his deployment varied wildly. Sawyer played just five or fewer defensive snaps during three of his 17 games — but he played 66 snaps (89% of the team total) during his lone start Dec. 21 at the Detroit Lions. With Herbig and Watt out, Sawyer in that game proved he could serve as a (virtual) every-down player: he had five tackles (three solo, one for loss) and was credited with two QB hits during a pivotal win at Ford Field.
2026 outlook: With Watt playing on a $123 million contract, Highsmith in the midst of a $68 million deal and Herbig signed last month to a $100 million pact, it is clear where Sawyer lies in the pecking order of Steelers OLBs. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t carry significant value. Sawyer might be the best No. 4 edge rusher for any team in the NFL. That might sound like faint praise, but it is reasonable to opine that he could be a starter on many teams. That Watt, Highsmith and Herbig to varying degrees have been susceptible to injury underscores Sawyer’s importance to the defense.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 260 pounds, Sawyer’s size suggests he is stout against the run. While that is true, he also showed a propensity to rush the passer last season. But if all four of the Steelers’ top edge defenders are healthy and available, it is possible Sawyer sees more deployment in run-first situations in 2026. The new defensive coaching staff under coordinator Patrick Graham has hinted at varying up usage of players and where they line up. Graham has suggested using three OLBs at once, and/or rushing some from the middle of the defense. It’s also possible Sawyer lines up next to one of his more veteran position mates; that could create more plays such as what happened last season when Sawyer’s first career sack came in part as a result of the attention Watt drew from blockers.
Sawyer in some ways is blocked for playing time in a deep position room. But be it by injury or other circumstance, or by the design of Graham, expect Sawyer to find his way onto the field. And when he’s gotten there, he’s proved he can make plays.