The Steelers added quality depth on the defensive side of the ball in the third round
So, ironically, similar to ‘calling’ the pick of Wide Receiver in the second round, I did state that we would probably draft a linebacker in the third round, albeit I did not predict that we would draft a very productive ‘small school’ linebacker.
Alex Highsmith, the aforementioned linebacker, played his college ball at Charlotte. While Charlotte is an FBS school, it is not what I would label a ‘powerhouse’ football program. Highsmith had a very productive college career, ranking first in school history in sacks in a single game, in a season and all-time. Admittedly, I did not watch a ton of Charlotte football last season, but I did watch Highsmith’s highlight reel from the official site of the Steelers. It is available here: Highsmith’s highlights
Highsmith has good size at 6′ 4″ and 242 LBS. Where he fits in on the defense remains to be seen, but I envision him being a quality backup to our starting OLBs. If he can play both OLB spots, that would be a plus. In a 3-4 scheme, it is vitally important for the OLBs to be able to play either side of the defense.
It is also vitally important for the OLBs to be ‘stout’ against the run, to be able to rush the QB and to be able to drop into coverage if the need arises. If Highsmith can do any or all of those things, he may get a ‘ton’ of playing time.
Let’s continue by taking a look at who the Steelers added in round four.