If you play along the front seven on defense, your goal is to cause havoc on your opposition. Defensive linemen, edge rushers, and linebackers look to rack up tackles, tackles for loss, sacks, forced fumbles, and QB hits, making life difficult on opposing passers as well as stuffing the run to make opposing offenses one-dimensional.
Nick Shook of NFL.com recently published the 10 most disruptive players during the 2022 season according to Next Gen Stats, including both interior defensive linemen and edge rushers in the rankings. Shook used a rankings system that factored in QB pressures, QB pressure rate, QB hurries, sacks, and turnovers caused by pressure.
Making the list at #6 was Pittsburgh Steelers OLB Alex Highsmith, who totaled 63 QB pressures, a 13.8% pressure rate, 34 QB hurries, 14.5 sacks, and two turnovers caused by pressure according to Shook’s numbers.
“Highsmith arrives on this list after Pittsburgh’s much more widely known edge rusher, T.J. Watt, missed seven games,” Shook wrote. “That is not entirely coincidental, but more importantly, it adds to what was already a highly impressive season for an edge rusher who has blossomed in the NFL. Instead of receding into the background when Watt was sidelined due to injury last season, Highsmith put together the best year of his career, more than doubling his previous single-season high for sacks and posting a QB pressure rate that was better than many of the NFL’s household names. That’s more than worthy of a spot on this list.”
The five players above Highsmith in the rankings are Chris Jones of the Chiefs, Haasan Reddick of the Eagles, Myles Garrett of the Browns, Nick Bosa of the 49ers, and Micah Parsons of the Cowboys.
Highsmith’s ranking is a testament to the breakout season he had in 2022, surpassing the double-digit sack goal that he set for himself prior to the 2022 season getting underway. Not only did Highsmith’s sack numbers increase, but his overall value as a pass rusher also improved as well. According to Pro Football Reference, Highsmith notched 20 QB hits and five total forced fumbles on the season, suggesting that Shook’s calculations on Highsmith’s turnovers caused by pressure may have been slighted just a little based on PFR’s statistics.
While Highsmith is more than deserving of his ranking, he does have room to improve. He managed to get four sacks in seven games without Watt in the lineup last season, but his effectiveness notably dropped off when it came to consistently pressuring the QB. That’s to be expected when you lose the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year across from you to take attention off you, but Highsmith needs to take that step forward and be more consistent with his pressure, regardless of whether Watt is on the field with him or not.
Highsmith is in prime position to land a multi-year contract extension with Pittsburgh this offseason, a deal that most would expect to get done prior to the start of the regular season. With Watt fully healthy after missing a good portion of last season, he and Highsmith could both make this list for 2023, becoming potentially the best EDGE duo in football.
