Over at the Touchdown Wire, Doug Farrar released a list of the most underrated players on each NFL team. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, Farrar chose outside linebacker Alex Highsmith, calling him the most underrated name on the team’s roster. A bit of a curious decision on the heels of Highsmith’s breakout 2022 season but here’s what Farrar had to say:
“Those numbers shot up to nine sacks and 38 pressures in 2021 as Highsmith graduated to a starting role, and in 2022, it all came to a head. That’s when Highsmith put up 15 sacks and 55 total pressures, looking at times like one of the league’s better and more multi-faceted edge defenders. Highsmith can bring a fearsome bull-rush to any tackle, but he’s just as adept at jumping multiple gaps inside to disrupt…”
Highsmith has slowly climbed the football ladder throughout his career. A walk-on at Charlotte, he was miscast as a defensive end in a 3-4 system before standing up for his final year, busting out with a 15-sack season. That turned him into the Steelers’ third-round pick in 2020. He initially rotated in as the team’s #3 outside linebacker but became the starter late his rookie year after Bud Dupree tore his ACL against the Baltimore Ravens.
After Dupree left in free agency for the Tennessee Titans, Highsmith became the full-time starter in 2021. He had a solid year, picking up six sacks, but left plays on the table and could’ve had more. It made 2022 a big season and Highsmith set big goals, aiming for double-digits. He did that and then some, breaking out with a 14.5 sack season that easily led the group, replacing T.J. Watt’s production after he missed the first half of last season.
With a gaudy year of production and big payday on the horizon, it’s hard to name Highsmith an underrated player. Perhaps to a more national audience his name does get lost in the shuffle of some great AFC pass rushers, but he’s earning far more buzz this year compared to a season ago. A new contract will again put him in national news.
Going in a different direction with a more overlooked name probably would’ve been the right choice. Center Mason Cole is as good an option as any. Heck, even tight end Pat Freiermuth hasn’t received the national notoriety that Highsmith has.
While Highsmith may have been too obvious of a pick, it’s still nice to see a national writer show him some love. He is in Watt’s shadow, making him easier to overlook, but quarterbacks and left tackles will be well aware of him heading into 2023. How Highsmith responds to that will be key.
Underrated names around the AFC North include Cincinnati LB Germaine Pratt, Baltimore DL Justin Madubike, and new Cleveland EDGE Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
