Steelers Tried Trading Up For Ohio State Star in 2025 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers almost traded up for an Ohio State star who was falling during the 2025 NFL Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers surprisingly drafted star Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer in the fourth round (No. 123 overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, Sawyer revealed the Steelers almost landed him a lot sooner as they were trying to execute a trade-up.

“I heard I was going day two regardless, so I was thinking round two or three and that obviously didn’t happen.” Sawyer said on Not Just Football with Cam Heyward. “I woke up like an hour before day three started and my agent is calling me telling me the Steelers are trying to trade up.”

Luckily, Pittsburgh was still able to land Sawyer, who came at a great value ranked as the No. 67 overall player on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big 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 win the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship.

He was also named the Cotton Bowl defensive MVP after strip sacking Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and returning it for a 83-yard touchdown to seal the game.

However, it was still a surprising pick with the Steelers outside linebacker room already loaded with the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.

Many believe Sawyer could get lost in the shuffle as a result, but he is solely focused on helping the team in any way he can.

“I’m just so excited to add value anywhere I can,” he said.

Sawyer will likely start by helping to fill the void left by veteran Preston Smith, who served as Pittsburgh’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: Steelers Tried Trading Up For Ohio State Star in 2025 NFL Draft