EDGE Alex Highsmith
Fans have really high hopes for Alex Highsmith, and I think that’s understandable. The edge defender was quite impressive when filling in for the injured Bud Dupree as a rookie, and he graded out remarkably well last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
However, filling the shoes of the former first-round draft choice won’t as easy of a transition as many seem to think. Dupree may not have had an arsenal of pass rush moves at his disposal, but he was big and powerful with tremendous speed and quickness off the ball. He played the run very well and had great sideline ability to close off the edge.
Highsmith has some of these traits but on a lesser level. He’s a good athlete in his own right but is not as big or powerful as the former first-round pick. Still, what he lacks in size and athletic traits, he makes up for with a few terrific pass rush moves and excellent bend and dip around the edge.
The question will be whether or not Highsmith will be able to excel in a much larger role in 2021. So much is riding on both his play and his ability to stay on the field this year, as edge defender depth is a major issue that wasn’t addressed this offseason. There can’t be a significant drop in play from Dupree to Highsmith or the Steelers front seven will suffer as a result.