Where would Steelers 2020 picks be selected in the 2021 NFL Draft?

EDGE Alex Highsmith: Mid 2nd round

Last year’s group of edge defenders was really quite bad, and I would not be shocked if Alex Highsmith turns out to be one of the best in the 2020 draft class. K’Lavon Chaisson was the 20th overall pick last year by the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he really struggled to get much of anything going as a rookie.

While I am very confident Highsmith would soar up draft boards in a 2020 re-draft, it might be hard to move up too much higher if he were to be thrust into the 2021 NFL Draft. This year’s group of players is much better than the one we saw last April. While there aren’t any household names like Chase Young this year, there are a solid group of four edge defenders who each have a chance of landing in the first round in Azeez Ojulari, Kwity Paye, Jaelan Phillips, and Jayson Oweh.

At the very least, I think Highsmith would fall right after this group, as he doesn’t quite possess the same physical skill set. However, I think after watching the former college walk-on in his rookie season with the Steelers, he has shown enough for a team to take him a round higher if he were to be thrown back into this year’s NFL Draft. I would bet that Highsmith would be a second-rounder in 2021. Don’t underestimate the value of a strong rookie season, and I think some teams would rather have that as opposed to the upside, but risk of some of the other prospects in this class.