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.
Some guys flex their career years AFTER they get the big contract. Alex Highsmith of the @steelers, who put up eight sacks and 78 total pressures after signing a four-year, $68 million deal last July, is one such player. Here's a little motorcycle lean (copyright @gregcosell) pic.twitter.com/bKCrtTqDHx
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) May 23, 2024
