5 Steelers who need to see more playing time down the stretch

EDGE Alex Highsmith

Alex Highsmith has been shockingly good as a rookie. Despite being a third-round pick out of Charlotte, the young outside linebacker has had no problem making his presence felt on this team. While his snaps have, for the most part, increased throughout the season, Highsmith deserved to see a lot of action down the stretch for a couple of different reasons.

Now he will be getting that chance. Unfortunately, it comes at the expense of Bud Dupree. Dupree was lost for the season after suffering a torn ACL against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12. Due to the lack of depth at outside linebacker, Highsmith will see a bulk of the action moving forward, as he has been labeled a starter. But that doesn’t mean that he’s not deserving of stepping into this role. Though his stats didn’t jump off the page in his first start against Washington, he played a pretty good game overall.

In addition, Highsmith has put his versatility on display time and again this year. Over more than half a season, the rookie has showcased the ability to stop the run, rush the passer, and even drop back in coverage. For a guy who played mostly with his hand in the dirt in college, that’s pretty impressive.

Obviously, T.J. Watt must stay healthy for the remainder of the season – especially after the loss of Dupree. But Highsmith isn’t just earning more time by default; he actually deserves to see the field as much as he will be down the stretch for the Steelers.