Outside linebacker is the strongest position group of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Heading into training camp, the traffic jam is the kind of roster tension fans should welcome. After T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, the depth chart gets stuffy. Nick Herbig has a new contract, Jack Sawyer now has a year of experience, and Patrick Graham has four players who all need to see the field in 2026.
Watt, Highsmith, Herbig and Sawyer combined for 25 sacks in 2025, giving Graham the kind of surplus most defensive coordinators can only dream about. The challenge is finding snaps without turning one of those rushers into an expensive sideline ornament.
Herbig has earned more than a few third-down cameos, and his contract says the organization sees him as more than a change-of-pace guy. Sawyer, meanwhile, needs a second-year leap before the depth chart quietly labels him the fourth option in a four-man race.
Patrick Graham must solve the Pittsburgh Steelers’ edge traffic jam
Graham can start by getting three outside linebackers on the field together. Watt recently said that he’s open to moving around. He and Highsmith have both kicked inside on passing downs before, and Herbig’s burst makes him useful from multiple alignments. A three-edge package could create protection nightmares.
Watt, of course, remains Pittsburgh’s premier defensive player, but shaving a few snaps off his plate in September could leave him fresher when the going gets tough in December. Highsmith can benefit from the same approach, especially if Herbig proves he can handle early-down responsibilities without becoming a target against the run.
Herbig brings the most obvious pressure for playing time because the Steelers just paid him. While contracts don’t set the depth chart, they do set expectations. Pittsburgh didn’t invest in him so he could spend another season waiting for Watt or Highsmith to need a blow.
Sawyer faces the trickiest camp of the group. A strong rookie season -- two interceptions and a sack on just 25% of defensive snaps -- created momentum, but he's still competing with three players who have guaranteed paths to snaps. Special teams, run defense and inside flexibility may decide whether he becomes a weekly contributor or the guy fans spend every Sunday debating after he logs nine defensive plays.
Every Sawyer pressure in camp will make the snap distribution harder for Graham to manage. Three-edge packages may be his quickest route onto the field, especially if Graham experiments with moving Watt or Highsmith inside on passing downs. Sawyer first has to give Pittsburgh's new DC a reason to complicate the playbook, or he could spend Week 1 watching the other three outside linebackers get the fun assignments.
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