The Kansas City Chiefs have a few long-term answers at defensive end. Mike Dana signed a contract extension in April to remain with the team through the 2026 season, and George Karlaftis is trending toward earning an extension after his rookie deal expires. The Chiefs are still missing a reliable third option along the edge.
Ohio State Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer’s development took a massive leap in 2023. He uses a quick first step to get off the line and engage in hand-to-hand combat with the offensive tackle. His active and violent hands generate some knockback on contact.
Sawyer’s pass rush arsenal includes converting speed to power, swims, club-swims, spins, long-arms, rips, and cross-chops. While he knows a large variety of moves, Sawyer’s timing and deployment of his pass rush plan are inconsistent. He lacks elite bend to beat tackles around their outside shoulders consistently but gets low enough to turn the corner at the top of the arc.
Sawyer often relies on countering into the B-gap. He pushes linemen vertically before using his hands and momentum to pry open the B-gap and attack inside. Sawyer also uses inside swim, spin, and club counters, but he telegraphs these moves and makes them too easy to mirror.
Sawyer took his run defense to another level in 2023. He sets the edge well and times his block-shedding to separate from linemen and bring down the ball carrier. Sawyer plays with impressive effort in pursuit and delivers some big hits. His anchor gives out at the point of attack occasionally.
Sawyer and his teammate, J.T. Tuimoloau, form one of college football’s best pass-rush duos. Either defensive end could be in play for the Chiefs in the second round.
Ohio State travels to Eugene to face No. 3 Oregon on Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m. CST. Both programs are 5-0 and feature multiple top-100 prospects. Oregon is the first of four ranked Big Ten teams remaining on Ohio State’s schedule.
