Ben Roethlisberger Has Surprising Take On Steelers' 2025 Draft Class

There are a lot of different opinions out there when it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 NFL Draft class. The team did what it could to add to the roster in specific areas that were labeled as positions of need. While the organization still does not have a clear answer at the quarterback position, it was a good seven selections for General Manager Omar Khan and co. The franchise will now look to begin preparing for the 2025 regular season, and the rookies will finally get a little taste of what the professional level is like.

The quarterback position hasn't been the same since the legendary Ben Roethlisberger retired, but luckily, the fan base still hears from him quite often. The future Hall of Fame signal-caller hosts a podcast and is constantly giving his opinions on the current state of the team and NFL as a whole. He did so again on Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger's most recent episode that was released on Tuesday.

There's no doubt that as an offensive player in the NFL for nearly two decades, the selections of Will Howard and Kaleb Johnson would make the retired quarterback excited. Neither player seemed to be his favorite picked by the Steelers, however. Roethlisberger glowed when he got the opportunity to talk about Ohio State edge rusher, Jack Sawyer, who is already being looked at as a steal with the 123rd overall pick.

"When the pick came up, I'm like, 'Oh.' I'm like, 'Yeah. That's a good pick,'" Roethlisberger said. "He feels like a guy that is like a big-play guy, right? He makes the play in the Bowl Game - it was either an interception or a sack fumble he picked up. Scoop. Score. I mean, just a guy that seems physical."

Roethlisberger didn't stop there. He continued to rave about the selection. While he doesn't know Sawyer personally, he thinks that he is a great teammate based on watching from afar. It also will be perfect for him to learn and play behind both TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith.

"How awesome is it going to be for him to learn behind TJ and Alex? I mean, now you get a guy that gets to rotate in. He gets to learn from one of the greatest, if not, you know, one of the greatest rush ends of all-time. I just think that this is an awesome pick. Seems like a guy that is just going to come in - work. I don't know anything about him, but just seems like when you watch him on the sidelines at the college games, seems like everybody loves him."

Sawyer will have plenty of time to ease into action because of who will be in front of him. He will also be in a room with Nick Herbig, who is a phenomenal pass rusher as well. The rookie will be great for the unit when it comes to setting the edge and stopping the run. It's why he and Herbig should complement one another so well as the two backups.

If fans thought that Roethlisberger was done with the excitement regarding Sawyer, they can think again. The retiree continued to show his appreciation for the selection, and it's pretty surprising that it seems as if his favorite pick of the draft was arguably the one that was the least necessary when it comes to position of need.

"When you can get, whether he was captain or not, but he seems and plays like a captain of a team, a National Championship team, defense, a defense that prides itself like the Ohio State Buckeyes, it just feels right," Roethlisberger said. "It feels like a guy that is going to be a Steeler and be doing things the Steelers way. I love this pick."

The best part about the Sawyer selection is that he will have time to mold into a great outside linebacker. There will be no rush when it comes to development, which is a key component of being a Steeler. Watt and co. should be a great group for him to be around.

Steelers Are A Legitimate Quarterback Away From Contending Again

Howard won't get the nod right away, and maybe not at all, during his rookie season. As the organization waits for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision, it is imperative that the franchise have a formidable signal-caller in 2025. The team had another good draft from the outside looking in, and if the offense can put points on the board, the group as a whole should be very competitive in the AFC.