When it comes to the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers, all eyes are on the offense or star edge rusher T.J. Watt. It’s understandable, too. Watt is one of the absolute best in the game, so he merits the attention. As far as the offense, people want to see if second-year QB Kenny Pickett takes the next step and what insane catch WR George Pickens will pull out of his back pocket this week.
However, when it comes to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, he’s got his eye on a different player as a potential first-time Pro Bowler in 2023. Perhaps it may not be the trendy and chic pick of Pickens, but Patra went with Watt’s pass-rushing counterpart, Alex Highsmith.
“Highsmith burst out in 2022, generating 14.5 sacks (sixth-most in the NFL) and five forced fumbles (tied for first…),” Patra wrote. “T.J. Watt might garner the headlines, but Highsmith is no slouch. With the attention paid to Watt, the 26-year-old can fly to the quarterback (11 of his sacks came in 10 games with Watt on the field in 2022). The Steelers boast a talented pass-rush crew that could wreck opposing offenses this season.”
Highsmith, the Steelers’ third-round pick out of Charlotte in 2020, has a history of exponential growth and excellence. He broke out with 14.5 sacks in 2022 after notching six in 2021 and only two as a rookie. He posted 12 tackles for a loss last season, 15 in 2021, and five as a rookie. He also registered 20 quarterback hits in 2022, 15 in 2021, and six in 2020.
That history of growth shows up when you look at Highsmith’s college career. As a freshman, he had one sack and two tackles for a loss. Then he had two sacks and five tackles for a loss his sophomore season. His sack numbers improved slightly as a junior to three, but he showed a big jump with 18.5 tackles for a loss. Then in his senior season, he had 15 sacks and 21.5 tackles for a loss.
Does that mean Highsmith is going to break records as a pass rusher in 2023? Hard to tell. All we can know is that he has shown improvement, sometimes in big jumps, both in college and in the pros. During training camp, Highsmith spoke about how he’s trying to improve his pass rush arsenal with both new moves and perfecting his current ones with a target of 15 sacks in 2023.
Whether Highsmith hits that mark or not, there’s no question as to whether Pittsburgh has a formidable pass-rush duo between him and Watt. Opposing offenses are going to have their hands full trying to keep them from near-constant disruption. As to Patra’s earlier point, if Highsmith hits the 15-sack mark, it’s hard to imagine him not earning a Pro Bowl nod.
