High-end NFL comparison: Yannick Ngakoue
This might be a bit of a stretch, as Yannick Ngakoue is a former Pro Bowl edge defender and excellent football player. However, it’s not hard to draw comparisons between him and Steelers Alex Highsmith.
Ngakoue is another example of a former third-round pick, but this case turned out much better than it did with Tim Williams. Ngakoue came from a big football program at Maryland, but he was a productive college player who earned 14.5 tackles for a loss and 13.0 sacks as a junior in 2015.
Highsmith and Ngakoue have very similar size and athletic metrics, and when you put on Ngakoue’s college tape, it’s not hard to see why he’s a good high-end comparison for Highsmith.
Obviously, this would be the best-case scenario for Highsmith – the former college walk-on. But if his development goes perfectly, perhaps he could become a similar player to Yannick Ngakoue at the next level.