When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense, there are a few names that typically stand out. There’s T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick who come to mind first. However, speaking on ESPN’s NFL Live on Friday, Cincinnati Bengals’ tackle Orlando Brown Jr. claimed the Steelers’ defensive front is the heartbeat of the team. He also had some praise for Alex Highsmith specifically.
“I think that’s honestly the heartbeat of their team, is their defensive front,” Brown said. “They’ve got a number of guys man, in my opinion, that are starters and high-level players on this level, that have proven it. T.J. Watt, guys like Alex Highsmith, who may not get their credit and respect that they deserve. They’ve got a really good front. I mean, like I said, it’s the heartbeat of their team.”
With no consistency on offense over the past half-decade, the Steelers have had no choice but to make the defense the heartbeat of their team. Fortunately, it’s become just that. Aside from some of their struggles during the second half of the 2024 season, the unit has been dominant for years now.
Alex Highsmith has been an under-recognized part of that group. Drafted in 2020, Highsmith has quietly put together a great career in Pittsburgh. Through five seasons, he’s got 35.5 career sacks. For most of his career he’s been under-looked, playing on the same unit as T.J. Watt. However, when Watt missed time due to injury in 2022, Highsmith stepped up in a big way. That year, he had 14.5 sacks, a career high, and 20 QB hits to boot.
Highsmith was on the way to another great year in 2024, but some of his own injuries caused him to miss six games. Still, he managed to bring down the quarterback six times and had nine tackles for a loss as well. This year, Highsmith is part of a defense that could be changing in a lot of ways.
The defense had plenty of struggles to finish the 2024 season. Those came against both the run and the pass. This year, they’re stressing communication, but that’s not the only changes they’re making. Both Watt and Highsmith have been too stationary in their alignment in recent years. That’s something each of them are open to changing around this year, which could result in more opportunities to create havoc in the backfield.
The Steelers recognize just as well as Brown that their front seven is their bread and butter at the moment. After their moves this offseason, it’s a unit that should be strong for years to come. Alex Highsmith doesn’t seem to care for his own recognition as long as the team is winning, but it’s nice to hear a divisional opponent who he faces twice a year shout him out on a national stage.
