Cardinals Can't Pass on Ohio State Pass Rusher

The Arizona Cardinals could use Jack Sawyer on their team.

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer (33) celebrates after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals will be linked to many 2025 NFL Draft prospects over the course of the next few months for a variety of reasons. Whether it’s due to a position of need, a scheme fit, trends, or anything else, the Cards will have a flurry of players who are “perfect” for them.

We are going to start exploring some of those potential “perfect” or “dream” fits for the Cardinals with a larger emphasis on day one players.

The top needs for Arizona are some order of edge rusher, interior defensive line, and offensive line upgrades, with other positions like linebacker and wide receiver needing more depth.

To start this new series, we begin with a pass rusher – perhaps the biggest need across the board. Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer is a player who feels perfect for Arizona for all sorts of reasons and we’ll explore all of that including his fit, the logic to add him, and what his immediate role would be for AZ.

Profile:

Former 5-Star recruit and consensus Top 10 recruit in the nation (2021)
2024 CFP National Champion
Two-time Second-Team All-Big Ten (2023, 2024)
Academic All-Big Ten Conference (2023)
54 career games – never missed a game in four seasons

The fit:

The Cardinals need edge rushers more than any other position and Sawyer is a great fit for what the team values at the position.

A defense that overachieved in the sacks department thanks to great scheming from defensive coordinator Nick Rallis isn’t likely to be sustainable without a proven pass rusher. Sawyer steps into this defense and immediately inherits a role of being a relied upon edge defender.

Sawyer is also a great run defender, so he’ll see a chance to be the edge setter against run oriented teams.

The logic:

When it comes to the Monti Ossenfort trend that we’ve noticed over his first two draft classes, Sawyer feels like an exact fit.

Sawyer…

• Ohio State Alum
• Formerly a top high school recruit
• Lots of play time/starting experience
• Academic standout

That makes it an obvious fit from that standpoint, but there’s more logic than just the fit via past trends.

Aside from being a good pass rusher, Sawyer is a great edge setter against the run, making him an “every down” defender rather a rotational player. Speaking of pass rushing, Sawyer has steadily improved each season and looks primed to continue growing at the next level.

From previous trends to a need at the position and then to his ability to play every down, Sawyer is a perfectly logical fit for Arizona.

Day one role:

Without question, Sawyer is a starter at one of the edge positions. The starter across from him, whether that be BJ Ojulari, Darius Robinson, or someone added via free agency – the only way that Sawyer would be usurped of a starting role would be to get a veteran out there.

There’s a chance that no matter who is brought in this offseason at edge rusher (within reasons) that Sawyer is still the top dog at the position – and that’s a good thing considering the investment he’ll cost as a likely round-one pick.