Steelers Now
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger loved Pittsburgh’s surprising selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer with the No. 123 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. It came as a surprise to many with edge rushers T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig already on the roster, but former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger quickly grew to like the selection.
“Loved this pick,” Roethlisberger said on the latest episode of “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger.” “When the pick came up, I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah. That’s a good pick.’ He feels like a guy that is a big play guy. Just a guy that seems physical.”
Sawyer, 22, may seem like he could get a bit lost on Pittsburgh’s depth chart, but he came at great value, ranked as the No. 67 overall player on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board.
Roethlisberger thinks him having the opportunity to learn behind some of the best edge rushers in the league with the Steelers will only help his long-term success, too.
“How awesome is it gonna be for him to learn behind T.J. and Alex,” Roethlisberger said. “So now you get a guy that’s gonna rotate in, he gets to learn from one of the greatest rush ends of all time. I just think this is an awesome pick.”
Sawyer played a significant role in Ohio State’s College Football National Championship run last season. He recorded 59 tackles (25 solo), nine sacks, three forced fumbles, one interception and six passes defensed and was named the Cotton Bowl defensive MVP after strip sacking Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and returning it for an 83-yard touchdown to seal the game.
That’s the type of big-play ability that Roethlisberger believes makes him born to be a Steeler.
“It feels like a guy that is going to be a Steeler and be doing things the Steeler way. I love this pick,” Roethlisberger said. “In terms of where we sit right now, really, really like Jack Sawyer pick.”
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound edge rusher will likely start by playing special teams and helping to fill the void left by veteran Preston Smith, who served as the team’s fourth edge rusher in 2024.
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: ‘Loved This Pick:’ Ben Roethlisberger Gives Blessing for Steelers Surprising Draft Selection
