As the Pittsburgh Steelers were on the clock with the 123rd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, many were wondering if this would be where Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders came off the board. Instead, the Steelers went defense.

Pittsburgh selected Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer in the fourth round. Sawyer had nine sacks in 2024, and finished his career with 24 sacks and 29 tackles for loss. With T.J. Watt getting older, it’s not a bad idea for the Steelers to perhaps get ahead of the curve and get initial depth and a potential future difference-maker on the roster now.

Sawyer currently slots in as the fourth edge rusher behind Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig, all of whom will get the vast majority of those reps. However, don’t be shocked if Sawyer pops in the preseason, similar to how Herbig did over the last two seasons before earning more regular season reps.