Ohio State EDGE Jack Sawyer is another name commonly projected to the Detroit Lions in early-offseason mock drafts. In fact, he’s the Lions first-round choice in nearly 20 percent of those projections, according to the Mock Draft Database.
What makes Sawyer such a popular projection for Detroit? His impactful play in Ohio State’s championship run, notably his highlight-reel strip sack TD against Texas, certainly captured a lot of late attention. Sawyer is more than just those highlights, however…
Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State
- Well-muscled 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds (listed by Ohio State) that could measure in bigger than that
- Notched 9 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 59 total tackles in 16 games in 2024
- Two-time Academic All-Big Ten
- 5-star recruit and four-year full-time player for Ohio State
- Turns 23 in May
Games watched: Western Michigan, Marshall Oregon, Iowa, Penn State, Michigan, Tennessee (CFP), Oregon (CFP), Texas (CFP), Notre Dame (CFP)
Positives
- Great edge-setter without losing sight of his rush
- Refined, consistent stack-and-shed skills on the outside
- Long, powerful arms and developed upper-body strength
- Good square-up tackler in the box and right off the offensive tackle
- Powerful leg drive as a bull rusher
- Good balance out of contact and quick recovery from a fake
- Has nice power-to-speed off his rip and leverage moves
- Play with infectious emotional intensity
Negatives
- Not unathletic by any means, but Sawyer doesn’t win with twitch or burst
- Tight lower body hurts his ability to accelerate out of contact
- Tends to get too upright when trying to bend the corner
- Doesn’t have a chase gear or above-average closing burst to the ball
- Will try to initiate the tackler from too far away and fall off the tackle
- Not fluid or instinctive enough to drop in coverage at the next level
Overall
It’s immediately evident in every Buckeye game tape that Sawyer is a Dan Campbell/Brad Holmes kind of football player. His football IQ, play-to-play intensity and passion for the game are patently obvious. Sawyer is a pretty effective power-style EDGE presence, too.
There are some legit athletic limitations that are apparent. Sawyer is not an explosive or lithe athlete; he’s more of an average/adequate speed, agility and quickness, not exceptional in any. He’s also a little smaller than the typical “crush the can” edge the Lions have favored across from Aidan Hutchinson. Sawyer makes up for it as best as he can with quick reactions, tenacity and excellent positional responsibility.
The first round is far too rich for my taste for Sawyer with his athletic ceiling. He should be a strong candidate for Detroit’s second pick in the draft if he’s still on the board, which is debatable at this point (it’s February 9th).