The San Francisco 49ers will have all their attention on T.J. Watt this weekend. Their goal is to slow him down. But for LT Trent Williams, his eyes are squarely on one man: Alex Highsmith.
Highsmith will open the season with perhaps his toughest task of the season, facing a future first ballot Hall of Famer in Williams. Though it’s a difficult matchup, it’s one Highsmith believes he can win.
“Just been studying him and stuff,” he told reporters via Steelers.com Friday. “It’s gonna be a good matchup because I know he’s one of the best in the game. I look forward to competing against the best. That’s what you live for.”
Williams is a 10-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, earning the latter honors each of the last two seasons. His game hasn’t slowed down one bit. If anything, he’s gotten better, a physically imposing presence and still a remarkable athlete at left tackle.
Last year, Highsmith had a big Week One. In an overtime win against the Cincinnati Bengals, Highsmith lit up the box score with nine tackles, four quarterback hits, and three sacks. Doing so this time around will be a more difficult task.
But with the 49ers likely game planning around Watt, chipping and sliding his way, it’ll create 1v1 opportunities for Highsmith. If he can win a couple of them and pressure QB Brock Purdy, it could change the game. One hidden element to this game is Purdy’s penchant to boot to his left. It was the 49ers’ play call on his very first snap this preseason, and that could give Highsmith the chance for a free sack if he’s able to see it coming.
Highsmith is coming off a breakout 2022 campaign, wrapping up the year with 14.5 sacks and five forced fumbles, among the best numbers in football. It should be a battle within the battle, the savvy Williams facing the emerging Highsmith and his array of moves. Highsmith’s go-to move is his inside spin, as potent as any rush the NFL saw last season, but by the end of the year, tackles began to anticipate it. Williams will be ready for it Sunday. Seeing how Highsmith counters off it and stays one step ahead will be key.
