When it comes to some of the best pass rushers in the NFL, it’s becoming more and more obvious that fourth-year Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith belongs right there among that elite company.
That might seem a bit crazy initially to many reading this, but the advanced numbers and his overall production backs up that belief.
Since the beginning of 2022, Highsmith is third in the NFL in quickest time to pressure quarterbacks among EDGE rushers, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, which isn’t all that surprising.
On top of his quickness in getting to the quarterback, Highsmith continues to ascend the Pressure Probability Model from Next Gen Stats, which measures individual pass rushers against each other with 13 different metrics. Entering Week Three, Highsmith is No. 10 in the Pressure Probability Model, sitting in the 93rd percentile overall.
Highsmith finds himself in the same company of pass rushers as Dallas’ Micah Parsons, New York’s Quinnen Williams, Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, San Francisco’s Nick Bosa and Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson.
“After Steelers star defender T.J. Watt was placed on IR early last season, Highsmith rose to the occasion, registering nearly twice as many sacks (14.5) as he did over his first two seasons in the league (eight), and was rewarded with a lucrative contract extension this offseason. Highsmith wins with speed as one of four players with at least 40 quick pressures (41, ranks fourth) over the last two seasons and his average time to pressure (2.55 seconds) is the third-quickest among edge rushers over that time frame,” Next Gen Stats writes regarding Highsmith’s success. “That instant pressure was on display on Monday night, when Highsmith knocked the ball out of Deshaun Watson’s hands just 2.80 seconds after the ball was snapped, leading to a scoop-and-score for his teammate Watt. Highsmith’s explosive performance, which also included a pick-six, earned him the AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.”
Highsmith has been quite the developmental story for the Black and Gold, going from a former no-star recruit who walked on at Charlotte, eventually working his way into becoming a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Since he landed in Pittsburgh, Highsmith has gotten better and better. He’s developed a full pass-rush arsenal that includes a wicked-fast spin move, a great ghost rush and impressive speed off the edge. That repertoire allows him to threaten the edge, opening up offensive tackles to inside counters that he’s able to hit quickly and efficiently.
Playing opposite Watt certainly helps, too, giving Highsmith advantageous one-on-one matchups on an island. To his credit, Highsmith takes advantage of the matchups and wins consistently, possessing a pass-rush win rate of 13.8% on the season, according to Pro Football Focus.
He’s now paid like one of the top pass rushers in football, and to Highsmith’s credit he’s once again performing like one.
We’ll see if he can continue to play at the pace he’s on, especially after putting together a breakout 2022 season, recording 14.5 sacks in his third season. His fourth season is off to a fast start, and he’s now starting to generate the type of attention that’s quite warranted for the veteran pass rusher.
