Steelers Now
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sees big things in the future of Pittsburgh’s fourth-round pick Jack Sawyer.
The Pittsburgh Steelers passed on other positions of need to strengthen their already star-studded outside linebacker room with Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer in the fourth round (No. 123) of the 2025 NFL Draft. But former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t think they’ll ever come to regret that decision.
“You can see that that dude has every potential to be a captain at some point on this team” Roethlisberger said on the latest episode of “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.” “Dude is gonna be good, I think. I almost forgot about him in the draft. When we picked him, I was like, ‘Oh, I remember. Yeah, that’s a good pick.’”
Sawyer, 22, did come at great value ranked as the No. 67 overall player on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if he was the highest-rated player on Pittsburgh’s board.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defender recorded 59 tackles (25 solo), nine sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and six passes defensed while leading the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2024.
His most notable play came in the Cotton Bowl when he strip sacked Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and returned it for an 83-yard touchdown to seal the game.
However, Sawyer is joining a very crowded room, which already includes T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. That’s why many question what his impact will be as a rookie or even in the next couple of seasons.
Roethlisberger is not among those, though. Instead, he thinks it will be a good thing for Sawyer’s long-term development.
“I think it’s great because he’s going to get to learn behind some studs, maybe one of the greatest to ever play the game in T.J., Alex, who’s a high-motor, high-quality, high-character guy that is a really good football player as well,” Roethlisberger said. “And he’s all for learning. He’s not coming in being like, ‘I’m the dude.’”
In four seasons at Ohio State, Sawyer registered 144 tackles (68 solo), 23 sacks, six forced fumbles, one interception and 10 passes defensed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Ben Roethlisberger Makes Bold Prediction for Steelers Day 3 Rookie
