The Pittsburgh Steelers' front office made a proactive push to add talent this offseason for new head coach Mike McCarthy. One area they will look to improve upon is on the defensive side of the ball, as Patrick Graham departed from the Las Vegas Raiders and takes over at defensive coordinator.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham works with defense as the team practices during an Organized Team Activities (OTAs) workout in Pittsburgh, PA.
One unknown about this current group is what will be done with 2025 fourth-round pick from Ohio State University, Jack Sawyer. He enters his second year with the team, but also does so at a position where the roster has plenty of options ahead of him. Edge rushers TJ Watt, Nick Herbig, and Alex Highsmith all are above him on the depth chart, especially given he is only heading into his second NFL season as mentioned. However, there may be one avenue for him to get more time on the field in 2026.
In a recent story for Sports Illustrated, NFL staff writer Gilberto Manzano discussed his offseason thoughts on the Black and Gold as they inch closer to training camp. One thing mentioned during this analysis was Sawyer's natural position that he played in his college days. This is where he cites an opportunity for a path to get him on the field more, while also naming him a breakout candidate for the 2026 NFL season.
“This is certainly a bold prediction because Sawyer, the 2025 fourth-round pick, has to fight for snaps playing with Watt, Herbig and Highsmith, and he only generated one sack while playing 25% of the defensive snaps as a rookie,” Manzano wrote. “But Sawyer’s high motor was noticeable in college (he won a national title at Ohio State) and, clearly, the Steelers have a track record of developing edge rushers. If Sawyer shows improvement and with Herbig paid, perhaps the Steelers would consider moving a player from the potential logjam at edge rusher.”
The former Buckeye played some of his college career at outside linebacker, along with defensive end. It is also not uncommon for some athletic edge rushers to have the flexibility to play the position.
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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer stands alongside his teammates during the national anthem prior to participating in a professional football game.
The offseason extension of Herbig certainly cements his place on the depth chart as well as the one Watt received almost a year ago to this day.
Steelers Have Plenty Of Weapons For Patrick Graham To Deploy
The biggest feat of note Graham achieved during his time in Las Vegas was turning their scoring defense into one that ranked top-10 in the 2023 NFL season, coming in at ninth overall in the league. Outside of edge rusher Maxx Crosby, however, he lacked star power in Las Vegas. Now the pressure will be on him to produce results in his first year in the Steel City for a defense that needs to prove it given the investments made in it by the front office.
He will certainly have his work cut out for him in year number one, especially with the unit coming off finishing 29th in the NFL in passing defense. However, there is no shortage of talent on the Black and Gold roster when you consider what he worked with previously. Given the leadership he showed, he certainly can orchestrate yet another turnaround.
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Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Jack Sawyer (33) during a preseason game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA.
This bold prediction on Sawyer also allows Graham to possibly add some new wrinkles and packages to the defense. It is also a chance for the team itself to change the narrative on the defensive side of the ball as they look to turn over a new leaf under new leadership. Given the flexibility for the second-year Buckeye, it is very possible his new defensive coordinator will be able to maximize the talent on the field in the 2026 season.
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