Mike Tomlin delivered perfect message to Jack Sawyer after Steelers pick

“The Standard is the standard” in Pittsburgh, and while that mantra has been sarcastically lobbed back at head coach Mike Tomlin during the Steelers’ recent run of mediocrity, it’s all about the championship mentality that the now 18-year head coach instilled as he led the franchise to its sixth Super Bowl title back in 2008. 

The standard is toughness, competitiveness, and leadership, and as far as Tomlin is concerned, former Ohio State defensive end Jack Sawyer embodies the standard. Tomlin told the team captain of the national championship Buckeyes just that after Pittsburgh selected him in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft on Saturday. 

Jack Sawyer is Mike Tomlin’s type of guy

The 6-foot-4 260 260-pound senior displayed all of those attributes as the Buckeyes steamrolled their way through the 2025 College Football Playoff and to the national championship, and the former five-star was quite productive along the way. 

Sawyer registered nine sacks in his final season in Columbus, with 4.5 of them and 21 of his career-high 64 quarterback pressures coming in Ohio State’s four postseason games. His most impactful moment came in the CFP Semifinal victory over Texas when he stripped Texas quarterback and former fellow Buckeye recruit Quinn Ewers on fourth-and-goal with just over two minutes remaining and returned it for a touchdown to extend his team’s lead to 14. 

Sawyer is heading to Pittsburgh with fellow champion Will Howard. The one-year starter at Ohio State was the Steelers’ sixth-round selection but may have a clearer path to playing time in the NFL. Pending the signing of Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers’ QB room is wide open with career back Mason Rudolph as the presumptive starter, the outside linebacker group that Sawyer is joining is significantly more crowded. 

Former NFL Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt is entering his age-31 season and has highly-paid veteran Alex Highsmith and promising third-year contributor Nick Herbig as his running-mates. Watt isn’t the only star on the Pittsburgh defensive line, he’s shared the field for his entire career with former Buckeye Cameron Heyward, who, at 35 years old, was a First-Team All-Pro last season. 

If Sawyer is viewed as Watt’s eventual replacement, the Steelers were even more aggressive in finding Heyward’s, drafting Oregon defensive lineman Derrick Harmon with the 21st overall pick. Sawyer is Tomlin’s type of guy, but that doesn’t mean playing time will be easy to come by in Pittsburgh. Sawyer will have to compete every day, and if Tomlin is right in his assessment, he wouldn’t want it any other way.