As a fourth-round pick at a position that wasn’t truly viewed as a need, Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer is stepping into an experienced, deep outside linebacker room with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which features star T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.
The Steelers have typically needed that fourth outside linebacker in recent years as Watt, Highsmith and Herbig have all dealt with some injuries.
That reasoning alone has NFL.com draft analyst Chad Reuter believing that Sawyer will compete for starting snaps as a rookie in 2025. Not due to his talent, his fit in Pittsburgh, or a need at the position, but rather due to the injury history of guys in front of him.