Jack Sawyer hasn\u2019t been with the Steelers for long, just the summer workouts and the first couple of weeks of training camp. However, according to Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo, he\u2019s already starting to make his presence felt.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am really impressed with Jack Sawyer,\u201d Fittipaldo said on the North Shore Drive<\/a> podcast on Monday. \u201cThat is a clear upgrade, depth-wise, over what they\u2019ve had the last couple of years. To me, he\u2019s looking like he\u2019s a guy who could potentially, down the road, be a starter for this football team\u2026 He just fits the bill. He looks like a Steelers player.\u201d<\/p>\n Sawyer is a player the Steelers felt too good about to pass on in the fourth round, despite already having talent at his position<\/a>. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith hold down starting roles already. Pittsburgh also has its draft pick from just a few years ago, Nick Herbig, earning a decent amount of snaps. Thus, Sawyer likely won\u2019t see the field much in his rookie season. Most importantly, he won\u2019t have high expectations placed on him too early and will be given time to develop.<\/p>\n That could be a great thing for him, though. For one, Watt and Highsmith provide excellent examples for him to learn from. He also has Herbig, who\u2019s still developing himself and has been spending time with those two over the past two seasons. Herbig specifically likes what he sees in<\/a> Sawyer.<\/p>\n Jack Sawyer\u2019s roadmap to playing time could look similar to Herbig\u2019s. Behind Watt and Highsmith, Herbig only played 17-percent of all defensive snaps in his rookie year in 2023. But he showed some promise that year, and saw his snap count climb all the way to 50-percent in year two. He also started some games that year due to injuries. Obviously, things are different now with four edge rushers all vying for playing time. Herbig will also certainly get more reps than Sawyer to begin the year. That said, the starters will need a break at times. And the more Sawyer impresses, the more chances he\u2019ll get.<\/p>\n