The Cincinnati Bengals are focused heavily on the upcoming NFL Draft, working diligently to find young players to fill out what they hope to be a championship-contending roster. One player they are targeting just won a championship himself.
Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer revealed at the Buckeye's Pro Day on Wednesday that he is being brought in by the Bengals for a pre-draft visit. Bengals Director of Player Personnel Duke Tobin was present for Ohio State's pro day.
Sawyer is projected to be a day-two pick in the upcoming NFL Draft after a storied college career with the Buckeyes. A four-year player, Sawyer helped anchor an Ohio State defense that was the nation's best and one that won the National Championship.
He was instrumental in the Buckeyes' College Football Playoff success in the Cotton Bowl. Sawyer strip-sacked Quinn Ewers, who took the ball 83 yards the other way for the touchdown that put the game away. Sawyer had three tackles and two pass deflections in the game.
Sawyer was named the game's defensive MVP. Sawyer finished his senior season with nine sacks, a pick-six, seven pass deflections, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries (two for touchdowns), and 59 tackles.
Sawyer's scoop-and-score had many fans reminiscent of former Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard, who had a 99-yard fumble return over the Baltimore Ravens in January 2023. The former Buckeye posted Sawyer's play on his Instagram story the night of the Cotton Bowl, captioned "Captain Jack".
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"Dense-framed, even-front defensive end whose game is built for power but not speed." Wrote NFL.com's Lance Zierlein in his evaluation of Sawyer. "He has short arms and slow power to neutralize and overcome run blocks. However, he lacks a quick-win first step or twitchy stack-and-shed move. He locates the football and racks up tackles when runners near his gaps. He's a force-based rusher using strong hands, a relentless motor, and a pocket-caving charge to run up pressure totals, but his rush lacks quickness.
"He could see more interior rush opportunities for shorter trips into the pocket. Sawyer is suited for box-based football, which could cap his pro ceiling, but his demeanor, toughness,s and activity level provide a higher floor."
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This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 9:40 PM.