The Pittsburgh Steelers favored what they noticed from the Nationwide-Champion Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024. They appreciated Jack Sawyer and Will Howard particularly, who they managed to select up within the fourth and sixth rounds, respectively.
Former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger received to know Howard and Sawyer final week when he hosted each of them on his podcast simply a few days earlier than the Steelers’ rookie minicamp. He was impressed with every of them, to say the least. Relating to Sawyer particularly, Roethlisberger thinks he may change into a captain for Pittsburgh sooner or later.
“That dude [Jack Sawyer] has each potential to be a captain on this group,” Roethlisberger stated on his Footbahlin podcast, posted on Tuesday. “… Dude is gonna be good, I feel.”
Sawyer comes from a profitable tradition, one thing his teammates in Pittsburgh already appear enthusiastic about. He was a large assist throughout their run within the Faculty Soccer Playoff. Late of their semifinal in opposition to Texas, main by a landing with Texas within the crimson zone, Sawyer compelled a strip sack, after which took all of it the way in which to the home to ice the sport, and ship Ohio State into the Nationwide Championship.
The Steelers love gamers who’ve confirmed they’ll win. With Sawyer, they’ve that, and everybody noticed him make these sorts of performs when it mattered most within the postseason final 12 months. The Steelers’ protection has executed it time and time once more up to now to assist them win, even when the offense is struggling.
Simply final 12 months, a rookie in Payton Wilson had related moments. The Steelers in all probability don’t beat the Ravens early within the 12 months with out Wilson’s clutch, wild interception. They’ve relied on their protection continuously to make performs like that to return away with shut wins.
A lot of these have been due to T.J. Watt, who Roethlisberger thinks may be a superb mentor to Jack Sawyer.
“And I feel it’s gonna be nice, as a result of he’s going to get to be taught behind some studs,” Roethlisberger stated. “Perhaps the best to ever play the sport in T.J. [Watt]. Alex [Highsmith], who’s a high-motor, high-quality, high-character man that could be a actually good soccer participant as nicely… I feel it’s superior to see the lineage, proper? The move of the baton. In some unspecified time in the future, T.J. has sort of handed it to Alex. When it comes to respect, from T.J. to Alex, I feel that’s been earned. And will probably be enjoyable to observe the evolution of Jack in that function as nicely.”
If there’s something the Steelers now have on the sting, it’s depth. T.J. Watt is heading into the ultimate 12 months of his deal, but it surely feels protected to say he’ll be a Steeler for years to return. Behind him is Alex Highsmith, who Roethlisberger mentions Watt is passing the baton to.
As for Jack Sawyer, he gained’t have the largest function behind these two in his first season. Nonetheless, the Steelers now have a transparent pipeline on the place. This isn’t to say that Sawyer goes to be the subsequent T.J. Watt, as these are unrealistic expectations to position on a fourth-round rookie.
Nonetheless, Jack Sawyer actually can’t ask for a greater state of affairs to develop in. He appears to have an incredible head on his shoulders, which is identical conclusion Roethlisberger got here to after assembly with him final week. Whereas he hasn’t been within the locker room for a few seasons, few individuals perceive the Steelers’ tradition higher than Massive Ben. For him to assume Jack Sawyer has an opportunity to be a captain for the franchise is a excessive praise.
