The NFL preseason is all about getting live reps for young players who may not get them once the regular season begins. That is no different for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In their Week 1 preseason victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, many of the Steelers' top rookies got extensive playing time. Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, Kaleb Johnson, and Jack Sawyer all saw plenty of snaps in their first real NFL action. While none of them really stood out in a major way, one in particular failed to make an impact despite having a golden opportunity to do so.
Sawyer, the Steelers' fourth-round pick, got to start thanks to all three of the team's top edge rushers not suiting up Saturday night. Despite the runway to show what he can do, he failed to do much of anything to stand out, even after the Jaguars' backups entered the game.
Pittsburgh Steelers may end up regretting the Jack Sawyer selection
Sawyer had a solid career at Ohio State before joining the Steelers, and many thought he would be selected earlier than the fourth round. A major reason why he slipped was his lack of athletic traits, something that the NFL has valued more and more at the edge rusher spot.
He wins more with technique and craftiness than anything else, but that isn't enough to consistently beat NFL tackles. He doesn't have the luxury of facing guys who don't know how to deal with his smarts as a rusher now that he is in the NFL. It wasn't until late in the game when the Jaguars had their third and fourth string players in, that he started to get pressure, and that was when they were in a two-minute drill.
He did also get a quarterback hit earlier in the game, but he was unblocked and still couldn't quite get there before the pass was completed for a touchdown.
It's still early in the preseason, and Sawyer will get plenty more snaps to prove he can be an impactful edge at the NFL level. But if he doesn't show more potential to impact opposing QBs, he may end up as nothing more than a depth player in Pittsburgh.