Steelers who should be ready for bigger and better things in 2022

Alex Highsmith should have a breakout performance on defense

Alex Highsmith will be entering his second season as being the full-time starter opposite of T.J. Watt. He did well last year and held his own, while his partner went on to make a historic season seem effortless. Many still hold higher expectations for this player and what he could do in the stat department.

Year three during someone’s career is vital to see where they are at in their development. Most of the time they have a rookie year to get a feeling out process. Their second season is more geared towards giving them the bigger role and seeing what they can do with it. Year three is where you can tell where a player is going to survive in the NFL or thrive.

This player came from a small college in Charlotte. He has done well in most of the instances that he has played. His role with the Steelers defense has grown quickly and he has handled that adversity well. Highsmith will look to have his best season yet during the upcoming schedule.

Watt seems like the only real issue with this linebacker to get to his goal of ten sacks or more this time around. That does not seem too lofty of a goal as the defense has been able to handle two edge rushers getting to that mark recently with Bud Dupree in town. This is a young talented player that should hit that mark, or at least close to it.