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Steelers’ Overlooked Defender Called ‘Critical Roster Piece’
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- Steelers’ Overlooked Defender Called ‘Critical Roster Piece’
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have a good problem at edge rusher, and Alex Highsmith is right in the middle of it. Still, Bleacher Report's Matt Holder made it clear he still belongs there.
In its NFL 1000 scouting series, B/R graded Highsmith a 76 and dropped the edge rusher into its "critical roster piece" tier, one of the higher groups in the outlet's leaguewide project.
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The NFL 1000 grades every non-rookie on a 100-point scale built from position-specific traits. Highsmith's 76 put him comfortably inside the upper half of the position.
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Alex Highsmith Lands in Bleacher Report's 'Critical Roster Piece' Tier
Here's how Highsmith scored across the publication's five categories for edge rushers: pass rush (24 of 30), run defense (18 of 25), disruptiveness (15 of 20), tackling (13 of 15) and versatility (6 of 10).
Holder pegged him as more of a finesse rusher who still gets the job done.
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"While Highsmith can beat tight ends at the point of attack, he remains more of a finesse player overall," Holder wrote.
Even so, Holder credited Highsmith for pairing that style with a complete game.
"The Charlotte product's pass-rush skills have never been in question, and he uses his speed, athleticism and bend to make plays from the backside of zone runs or work around blocks to rack up tackles for short gains," Holder added.
The grade reflects a steady, productive career. Highsmith broke out with a career-high 14.5 sacks in 2022, finishing second in the NFL and leading all defenders with five forced fumbles while Watt missed time. He's been one of the league's more reliable complementary rushers since, and he added 9.5 sacks last season despite missing four games.
Steelers' Crowded Edge Room Raises the Stakes for Highsmith
Highsmith's grade arrives with real context around it, though. Pittsburgh currently has three well-paid edge rushers fighting for snaps.
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T.J. Watt remains the headliner, even coming off the quietest full season of his career. Nick Herbig just signed a four-year, $100 million extension after a breakout year. Highsmith sits in between, and last season he actually led the group with those 9.5 sacks.
That trio has fueled trade chatter all offseason, since teams rarely carry three expensive players at a position that plays two at a time. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham inherits the job of keeping all of them productive, and he's shown a willingness to move his rushers around and disguise where pressure comes from.
Highsmith's name has surfaced in some of that speculation, if only because his contract is the most movable of the three. He signed a four-year, $68 million extension in 2023, and per Spotrac , he remains under contract in Pittsburgh through the 2027 season, with 2026 the penultimate year.
For now, the Steelers have insisted the trio stays together, betting that a healthy rotation of three quality rushers is a strength worth the cap headache.
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Holder's "critical roster piece" label backs up what Pittsburgh decided when it paid him. Watt draws the game plans and Herbig is the rising star, but a defense that ranked among the league's biggest disappointments in 2025 needs the healthy, 9.5-sack version of Highsmith to hold up its end. The Steelers built this edge room on purpose. Now they have to make all three fit.
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