He might be considered a Robin to T.J. Watt’s Batman, but Pittsburgh Steelers fourth-year outside linebacker Alex Highsmith is starting to generate quite a bit of buzz as one of the top pass rushers in football.
Against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday at Acrisure Stadium, Highsmith had a terrific day, recording 11 pressures, a sack and a forced fumble in the 17-10 win over the Ravens. He set a career-high in pressures in a single game, tying the single-season high in the NFL through the first five weeks while taking over the NFL lead in pressures.
His performance earned him the distinction as one of the clear-cut “winners” in the NFL coming out of the Week Five Sunday matchups, according to The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher, who called Highsmith one of the most consistent pass rushers in the NFL right now.
“T.J. Watt gets a lot of attention in Pittsburgh, but you can make the case Alex Highsmith is the more consistent player this season. Watt had two sacks on Sunday, but Highsmith had 11 pressures, and the critical sack at the end of the game to help the Pittsburgh Steelers get a 17-10 lead,” Mosher writes highlighting Highsmith as a clear winner. “Highsmith went from a nice No. 2 EDGE rusher last season to one of the NFL’s most consistent pass rushers.
“After being rewarded with a big contract extension this offseason, Highsmith has leveled up his game even more this year. He has two sacks, but his consistent pressure and playmaking abilities have helped the Steelers steal two AFC North games they probably shouldn’t have won.”
Highsmith continues to build off his outstanding 2022 season in which he set a career-high with 14.5 sacks, playing seven games without Watt on the other side of him.
Though he struggled to create some of that splash without Watt in the lineup, Highsmith has largely become a complete package for the Steelers, marking yet another great draft and development example outside of the first two rounds for the Black and Gold.
A third-round pick in 2020 out of Charlotte and former walk-on, Highsmith has a deep pass-rush arsenal with multiple moves, not to mention great speed and power, making him a handful for tackles.
He gave Baltimore left tackle Ronnie Stanley fits all game long, and the pressures back that up. Watt steals all the headlines — and rightfully so as arguably the best defender in football — but Highsmith is starting to cement himself as one of the top pass rushers in football. It’s good to see him getting the individual recognition he deserves.
