PITTSBURGH --Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Jack Sawyer has quickly made an impression on the team’s coaching staff. Outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin, in particular, is already giddy about working with Sawyer.
Martin says Sawyer asked for the playbook the night the Steelers drafted him in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he has been a tireless worker since then to the point Martin has to calm him down.
“He was trying to get the playbook that night,” Martin said. “I told him to calm down and have some fun for a little bit. He’s the type of the guy who wants it. He wants everything about it, and I am looking forward to coaching him.”
Martin called Sawyer ‘that dude,’ referring to his pedigree and the want to, which he has seen Sawyer buzz to throughout the start of his rookie season.
“He’s been great,” Martin said. “He’s been eager to learn, the type of guy that he wants more — he tries to get in on the weekends. Everything you saw on that tape in college is coming to life out here. That dude, he’s just somebody who is going to be really fun to work with."
Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin would already give Sawyer an ‘A’ for what he has done on the mental side to start his career.
Of course, it is hard to say what Sawyer will do when it comes time to pop the pads in Latrobe, which is the next step in his developmental process.
“I’m not going to give Jack a whole bunch, but I’ll say it’s an A. I like Jack. He’s outstanding. He’s got all the football qualities that we like and we cherish around here. It will be really nice; I really want to see him once we get all the pads on him and how all that stuff translates. We’re in shorts right now, I can give everybody an A at this point. We all get A’s at this point,” Austin said.
In his four seasons at Ohio State, Sawyer recorded 23 sacks, with nine of those coming in his senior season, which helped the Buckeyes win a National Championship. He had 144 tackles and 11 pass deflections over his career.
Sawyer slots in as a special teamer who can bring some run defense upside to the Steelers’ edge rusher group. Against teams where they have heavier personnel, Sawyer can be an outside linebacker with that potential.