The Pittsburgh Steelers had a clear goal in mind entering the 2025 NFL Draft: improve the run defense. They spent five of their seven draft picks on defensive players, four of whom were front-seven players.
Many applauded the Steelers’ draft haul, and the two picks that NBC Sports labels as potentially becoming the biggest steal of the draft.
Jack Sawyer is one of those players. The Steelers took the Ohio State edge rusher with the 123rd overall pick in the fourth round, where he will slot in as the fourth edge rusher behind T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Nick Herbig. Sawyer had nine sacks in 2024, and 25 for his collegiate career.
The next Steelers’ pick was running back Kaleb Johnson. The Big Ten’s leading rusher in 2024 wasn’t expected to be available in the third round, and the Steelers pounced on him with the 83rd overall pick. It’s not unreasonable to think Johnson could get the majority of the carries between him and Jaylen Warren before the end of the 2025 season.
Johnson will likely yield more immediate results, while Sawyer was picked with more of a long-term picture in mind.
