Early 53-man roster predictions for Pittsburgh Steelers

Edge rushers (4):

Steelers roster prediction: T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Quincy Roche

This is a group that is extremely strong up top but has horrible depth. This has been a common trend for the defense in recent years. T.J. Watt should be back to his old self, and assuming he can stay healthy, he should be in line to make another run at the defensive player of the year.

Alex Highsmith is a great running mate, as he proved to be a player on the rise last season while Watt was out. No, he isn’t the generational player that Watt is, but he is still a great player. The only question is if he will have a new deal before the season starts (he absolutely has earned it).

Anyone that has followed my writing should know my thoughts on Nick Herbig. I can’t see him sticking at the edge given his lack of arm length. Personally, I would make him move to off-ball linebacker now so he can begin to learn the new role. That would also open a spot for a better overall third edge rusher to be added.

I also have them keeping Quincy Roche, but that is more due to the lack of other names. He could easily be bounced off the roster at some point, and he is far from a lock. That said, there aren’t a lot of names that stick out over Roche. He can hopefully kick in on special teams and gain back some value as a former sixth-round pick.