The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 offseason practices concluded in the middle of June. Next up is the team’s annual training camp, which gets underway in the latter part of July at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Ahead of Steelers training camp, we will preview the team’s offseason roster three players at a time as part of a multi-post series. This Steelers roster preview, which includes outlooks for every player, will be done alphabetically by last name to make it easy to follow. This series figures to exceed 90 players this year as the team can carry 91 players in total during the offseason due to the allowance of one international player designation.
The next set of players we will preview ahead of the Steelers’ 2024 training camp are Cameron Heyward, Connor Heyward, and Alex Highsmith.
DT Cameron Heyward: A groin injury suffered in Week 1 of the 2023 regular season resulted in Cameron Heyward missing six full games, and his loss was obviously a big one on the defensive side of the football. That injury required surgery and while he was able to return from the Reserve/Injured list in Week 9, you could tell that he wasn’t able to run and play like he really wanted to.
In total, Heyward recorded 33 total tackles (six for loss), two sacks, and one pass defensed in the 2023 regular season, obviously a very down year for him. In the Steelers’ lone playoff game last season, he registered six total tackles with one for lost yardage. In total, and including the lone playoff game, Heyward logged 497 defensive snaps in 2023, his lowest amount since the 2016 season.
Outlook: Cameron Heyward turned 35 in early May and he’s now in the final year of his contract. In all likelihood, he will receive some sort of an extension prior to the start of the 2024 regular season. Assuming that he is completely recovered from his 2023 groin issue, the hope is he can get back to playing close to the way that he did in 2021 and 2022.
The Steelers’ defensive front five looks to be a formidable one in 2024 with outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith bolstered by Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, and Larry Ogunjobi. In short, there should be plenty of opportunities for Heyward to get sacks in 2024 while he helps shut down the run of opposing offenses. It would be nice to see a few depth players on the Steelers’ defensive line be able to take a few snaps away from Heyward in 2024 so that the veteran captain doesn’t need to be on the field as much. In turn, that should help his overall consistency on a game-by-game basis.
Obviously, Heyward’s age and overall health are the two biggest concerns when it comes to the six-time Pro Bowler in 2024.
TE/FB Connor Heyward: In 2023, Connor Heyward registered 23 receptions for 167 yards, doing so on just 403 total offensive snaps played during the regular season. The former sixth-round draft pick out of Michigan State also registered 247 regular-season special teams snaps played in 2023, good for the sixth-most on the Steelers. He recorded just two special teams tackles, however.
As part of his usage on offense in 2023, Heyward lined up all over the place. In fact, on 33 offensive snaps he lined up in the Steelers’ backfield and on 66 others, he lined up in the slot. Out of character for Heyward, he did have two drops during the 2023 season. As a blocker in 2023, he showed a lot of effort, especially on the move. Even so, that remains the weakest part of his overall game, especially when used on the end of the line of scrimmage.
Outlook: The Steelers now have a new offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith. With that, the team’s offense is expected to use a lot of two- and three-tight end personnel groupings in 2024. We could also see a heavier usage of the fullback position in 2024 under Smith, and if that happens, Connor Heyward would be a candidate for such a role. His usage in the Steelers’ passing game could increase slightly with Smith now overseeing the offense. That would be advisable as Heyward has proven to have very reliable hands.
Assuming he sticks on the Steelers’ 53-man roster this summer, and there’s no real reason to think that he won’t, Connor Heyward could ultimately register his best statistical season on offense to date. As was the case in his first two NFL seasons, Heyward also figures to have a prominent role on special teams again in 2024. Assuming that’s the case, he should be expected to register a few more special teams tackles than he did in 2023.
OLB Alex Highsmith: Fresh off signing a four-year, $68 million contract extension with the Steelers last July, Highsmith went on to put together an adequate 2023 season. The former third-round draft pick out of Charlotte registered 57 total tackles (eight for loss), seven sacks, two interceptions, three passes defensed, and two forced fumbles in 910 total regular-season defensive snaps. One of his two interceptions he returned for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns as well.
Highsmith was voted the AFC Defensive Player of the Week once in 2023. That award came for his play against the Browns in Week 2. He was a better player all-around in 2023 and even received a 90.3 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus for his efforts, a career-best for him. While he only registered seven sacks in 2023, Highsmith was credited with 69 total pressures on the season.
Outlook: With 2024 being Highsmith’s fifth NFL season, there’s no reason to think that he can’t still improve as a player. Double-digit sacks should be expected as he continues to hopefully improve as a pass rusher. He possesses one of the best spin moves in the NFL and has slowly bettered his power pass-rushing moves as well.
Highsmith could stand to get even better as a run defender moving forward and I suspect that he will. It also won’t be surprising to see him register a few more strips sacks and possibly even another interception or two in 2024. Overall, Highsmith complements fellow outside linebacker T.J. Watt very well and thus those two could easily establish themselves as the NFL’s best pass-rushing duo in 2024. Expect an extremely solid season from Highsmith, if he remains healthy.
Previous Posts In This Series:
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Montravius Adams, Kyle Allen, Spencer Anderson
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Grayland Arnold, Calvin Austin III, Anthony Averett
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Kalon Barnes, Tyler Beach, Keeanu Benton
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Beanie Bishop Jr., Chris Boswell, Marquez Callaway
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Jack Colletto, Dylan Cook, Jacob Copeland
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — James Daniels, Daijun Edwards, DeShon Elliott
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Justin Fields, Joey Fisher, Dez Fitzpatrick
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Minkah Fitzpatrick, Zach Frazier, Pat Freiermuth
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Thomas Graham Jr., Devery Hamilton, Anderson Hardy
90 In 30: Steelers 2024 Training Camp Preview Series — Najee Harris, Nate Herbig, Nick Herbig
