Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Doug Farrar

Pittsburgh Steelers’ most underrated player: EDGE Alex Highsmith

The Steelers have never been light on great edge-rushers over the last few decades, and they’re very god at getting guys who float in under the radar and show up big in the NFL despite their humble beginnings. Highsmith, selected in the third round of the 2020 draft out of Charlotte, is an outstanding example. He had two sacks and 21 total pressures on just 224 pass-rushing reps in his rookie campaign, and then, as his playing time increased, so did his productivity.

Highsmith’s 2022 season, when he had 15 sacks and 55 total pressures and saw no dropoff when the injured T.J. Watt wasn’t on the field to help him out, had the Steelers rewarding him with a four-year, $68 million contract extension with $17.01 million fully guaranteed. 26 of Highsmith’s 55 pressures in 2022 came with Watt off the field.

What did Highsmith do with that? He had the best season of his career after he got the money, which is always nice. In 2023, Highsmith had eight sacks and 72 total pressures, with Watt taking some of those sacks for himself. Get used to this underrated star getting to the quarterback more often than not. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.