The Pittsburgh Steelers scooped and scored Jack Sawyer in the fourth round of the NFL draft.
He had to wait until Day, 3 but Sawyer’s NFL dreams came true on Saturday as the Pittsburgh Steelers selected the former Ohio State defensive end with the 123rd overall pick in the fourth round.
Rush game bully @jacksawyer33
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 26, 2025
: #NFLDraft on NFLN/ABC/ESPN pic.twitter.com/ZIs5L6vQ7l
Sawyer is the 10th overall Buckeye and second Ohio State defensive end selected in the 2025 NFL draft, joining JT Tuimoloau, who was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts with the 45th overall pick in the second round. It’s the first time multiple Ohio State defensive ends have gone in the same draft since Tyquan Lewis, Sam Hubbard and Jalyn Holmes were all drafted in 2018.
Regardless of the heights his pro career reaches, Sawyer will always be remembered as a Buckeye legend. He was one of the greatest heroes of Ohio State's four-game College Football Playoff run to a national championship in 2024, collecting 13 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a team-high seven pass breakups across four CFP games. Oh, and one of the greatest plays in Buckeye history:
JACK SAWYER SCOOP-AND-SCORE
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2025
Ohio State is one step closer to advancing to the national championship! pic.twitter.com/BPoV5FBRGZ
Sawyer finished 2024 with 59 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and nine sacks, all career-highs, adding three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He collected another scoop-and-score touchdown against Purdue on Nov. 9, two months before his much more famous one against Texas.
Ohio State's 2025 NFL Draft Picks
- Emeka Egbuka: Round 1, No. 19, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Donovan Jackson: Round 1, No. 24, Minnesota Vikings
- Tyleik Williams: Round 1, No. 28, Detroit Lions
- Josh Simmons: Round 1, No. 32, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Quinshon Judkins: Round 2, No. 36, Cleveland Browns
- TreVeyon Henderson: Round 2, No. 38, New England Patriots
- JT Tuimoloau: Round 2, No. 45, Indianapolis Colts
- Cody Simon: Round 4, No. 115, Arizona Cardinals
- Lathan Ransom: Round 4, No. 122, Carolina Panthers
- Jack Sawyer: Round 4, No. 123, Pittsburgh Steelers
It was the culmination of three years as a starter and a lifetime of Buckeye fandom for the five-star high school prospect out of Ohio State's backyard in Pickerington, Ohio. His first year starting in 2022 didn't live up to his expectations as he tried to fill the trademark defensive end/linebacker hybrid "Jack" position in Jim Knowles' defense, posting just 24 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Then, Sawyer emerged as arguably the Buckeyes' best defender in the second half of the 2023 season, especially during his three-sack performance in a Cotton Bowl loss to Missouri. His 2024 campaign also saw a late-season surge as he picked up three sacks in Ohio State's final three games before his CFP heroics.
Sawyer closed his Ohio State career with 138 tackles, 25.5 TFLs, 20 sacks and six forced fumbles. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in both 2023 and 2024.
Now, he'll continue authoring his legacy in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he’ll join a defensive line that also includes another former Ohio State star in Cameron Heyward. The Steelers announced his selection as an outside linebacker, indicating he’ll likely play that position in the Steelers’ 3-4 defense.
