Steelers pass rushers have unmatched potential this season

The Steelers have obvious stars starting at OLB, but their depth options may make it hard to keep them on the bench in 2020

The Steelers OLBs had a field day in week one against the Giants, constantly finding their way into the backfield and wreaking havoc. This was to be expected from starters T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree, as each went into the season with high expectations. While those two lived up to the hype, the backups also found their way onto the field.

The Steelers should be excited about the potential of their backups. Olasunkanmi Adeniyi is entering his third season as a backup after going undrafted out of Toledo. While he has constantly put together strong preseasons, injuries always seemed to get in his way. He appears healthy this year and had a great first outing.

Fellow backup and rookie third-round pick Alex Highsmith also saw the field in week one. Highsmith was drafted from small school Charlette, and he only had one real year of EDGE experience. He had started off as a DE in a 3-4, a position he did well at but was sorely undersized. His senior year he played more of an EDGE role, and it paid dividends, helping his cause to be drafted.

Both backups are outshining previous options

Now, it was uncertain how the Steelers would use their backups. They obviously want to keep their stars on the field but playing Watt and Dupree every snap will lead to injuries and exhaustion. In previous years, the Steelers had relied on Anthony Chickillo as the primary backup. He would spell both of the starters but was always ineffective and a weak link.

To compare, in 2019 Chickillo 143 snaps and had a total of two pressures (meaning he had a pressure every 71.5 snaps). In week one, Adeniyi had two pressures in 11 defensive snaps (one pressure every 5.5 snaps) and Highsmith had one in 10 snaps. Those numbers are elite for backups, and it shows that both options have the potential to be more than a backup.

While that fact alone is positive, it isn’t any secret that Dupree is in a contract year, and given his level of play and the obvious cap restrictions, it is likely his last season with the Steelers. They will need a new starter next year, and if both Adeniyi and Highsmith keep this up, the combination of those two could be promising next to Watt next year. Given how difficult the next offseason will be, having some options already in the roster to replace Dupree will allow resources to be spent elsewhere.

Neither Highsmith nor Adeniyi are going to take on a starting role anytime soon (assuming health is maintained), but each should continue to see rotational playing time. On top of this, both can and will continue to be primary special teams options, further adding to their value. While playing time may not always be easy to come by, both should continue to see the field and show the Steelers what they can offer.

While neither of these two recorded a sack, both showed up in the Giants backfield. It’ll be exciting to see both of these players develop as the year goes on. While Steelers fans should be sad at the thought of Dupree leaving, there seems to be a bright future at OLB with their backups.