This week the Pittsburgh Steelers report to training camp and we are previewing each positional unit for the upcoming season. Here is a look at the outside linebackers.
What the Steelers have
Pittsburgh can currently boast what might be the best trio of pass-rushing outside linebackers in the NFL. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are two of the premier edge rushers in the league and are going to be a nightmare for offensive lines. Highsmith just signed a huge new contract locking him into the team for a long time. The addition of Markus Golden gives the Steelers a de facto third start and is the best third edge rusher the team has had since Highsmith was a rookie backing up Watt and Bud Dupree.
The Steelers also drafted Nick Herbig who will slowly work his way into the rotation. He’s an impressive athlete who could be a nice situational player.
What do the Steelers still need?
At this point, it is all about fine-tuning. Watt missed seven games last season with a partially torn pectoral and is looking for a huge comeback. The one big piece of business is to sort out the roles of Golden and Herbig to keep Watt and Highsmith fresh as well as maybe work in some wrinkles that get Watt, Highsmith and Golden on the field at the same time.
Outlook
2022 was a disappointment from a pass rush standpoint. Assuming there are no other freak injuries, this group should be back to form. The good news is though, the addition of Golden is the best veteran signing they’ve had in several years and depth was a huge shortcoming last season. We expect the Steelers to produce more than 50 sacks this season.
Training camp previews
Here are the rest of our training camp previews.
