"Really Good": Steelers' Dynamic Defender Is Starting To Get Noticed

The Pittsburgh Steelers' second preseason game of 2026 had a lot of disappointment as they fell 17-0 to the New York Jets. Head Coach Mike McCarthy and his staff will go back to the drawing board as they regroup before one final preseason contest ahead of the 2026 NFL regular season. The one thing that stood out in particular was the struggles of young quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar. The defense also allowed an opening drive touchdown to New York as quarterback Geno Smith marched his group right down the field. However, there was one player on defense that showed promising play on Friday night.

Following that first drive touchdown, the defense allowed just 10 points the rest of the way. One aspect of the defense that has been very successful for several years is up front. They have been very physical and disruptive over that time and Friday night's game was not much different. That is one area of the defense that will play favorably into the hands of defensive coordinator Patrick Graham in his first year with the organization.

One player that showed more growth in becoming a versatile weapon to use on defense Friday night was linebacker Jack Sawyer. The former Ohio State Buckeye showed that he may soon join players like Nick Herbig and TJ Watt in the Black and Gold's talented edge rushing group. On an episode of Locked on Steelers following the game, Christopher Carter mentioned the inspired play he saw from the second-year defender.

“Jack Sawyer I thought had a really good game and showed why he's getting better and you know should be definitely part of the edge rotation,” Carter said. “Three tackles, a sack, and a pass batted broken up when he kind of rushed through and batted down a screen pass.” 

Sawyer now has the chance to do what his teammates Herbig and Watt did and move around from the defense to become a problem for opposing offensive lines. He showed some signs of potential in the 2025 season, particularly in Week 17 on the road against the Cleveland Browns when he intercepted quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Now, the former Buckeye has a chance to really blossom into being a feature threat for his new defensive coordinator in the Steel City.

Steelers' Improved Defensive Play In 2026 Can Carry Them

For years, the front office in Pittsburgh has invested a ton of money into the defense. Despite doing that, the unit has been underwhelming and has not played up to the standard set by teams in the past for the storied franchise. The good news is they get a reset ahead of 2026 given the new coaching staff and coordinator as Graham takes over. He did great work with the Las Vegas Raiders despite not having much star power outside of edge rusher Maxx Crosby. 

The offense struggled mightily for the Black and Gold on Friday night and it has been met with a lot of criticism since the conclusion of the game. However, several key parts of that offense are missing for now, which includes quarterback Aaron Rodgers as well as wide receivers DK Metcalf and Michael Pittman Jr. 

That should change once those starters return and the regular season kicks off. Improved play from the defense can really carry the team in the 2026 NFL season. Sawyer in particular has a chance to really cement himself as a stalwart on that defense and having the flexibility to move into the edge rushing rotation would be a huge breakthrough.

Graham had his work cut out for him when he was hired in the Steel City given the huge expectations on the defensive unit considering how much the organization has invested into that side of the football. 

Through two preseason games, the group has looked pretty solid despite some lapses at times. Following Sawyer's performance on Friday night, it will be interesting to see how he will be deployed once the regular season arrives as the collective will look to solidify itself as a dominant unit.

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