There\u2019s been plenty of talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers\u2019 outside linebacker group over the past week. Nick Herbig got his extension, but the Steelers still have T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith in tow. Yet, to Charlie Batch, one name who\u2019s not getting enough recognition going into his second year is Jack Sawyer.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople are forgetting about Jack Sawyer. And that guy, going from year one to year two, they know, I mean, you have a nice four-man rotation, based off last year\u2019s draft pick in Jack Sawyer, and what he did. The game that he showed up in Detroit, when T.J. Watt was out, that guy played lights out. And that let the organization know, we do have a starter in T.J., and also a starter in waiting,\u201d Batch said this week on his Snap Count podcast<\/a>. \u201cDon\u2019t forget about Jack Sawyer. Because that guy can flat-out play.\u201d<\/p>\n Behind those three, Sawyer obviously didn\u2019t have a huge role in his rookie season. But there certainly were some bright moments<\/a>. His first and only sack came in Week 2 against Seattle, but he had flashes throughout the year. Sawyer had two interceptions, including one on a deflection in Week 8, and another late in the season against Cleveland.<\/p>\n Later in the year, Jack Sawyer got some extended run as Watt sat out with a lung issue. Batch specifically mentions the win over Detroit in Week 16, and Sawyer was impressive. He was on the field for 66 snaps, significantly more than any other game on the year. Sawyer rewarded that confidence with five tackles, including one for a loss. He also got in the backfield with two quarterback hits. He was part of a defense that did surprisingly well to suffocate Detroit\u2019s offense for most of the game.<\/p>\n