Rookie Report Card: Alex Highsmith Answered the Call When Steelers Needed Him

The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2020 third-round pick showed he's NFL-worthy when thrown into the starting role this season.

As we continue to evaluate the Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 rookie class, we come to third-round pick Alex Highsmith. 

The logic for drafting Highsmith was clear. He’d serve as a rotational edge rusher for one season, then replace Bud Dupree in 2021, with the expectation being that Dupree won’t be brought back to Pittsburgh. When Dupree went down with a torn ACL, Highsmith took over as the starting right outside linebacker. He answered the call and then some, leaving fans excited to see what he’ll accomplish as a full-time starter moving forward. 

After Chase Claypool slowed down towards the end of the season and Highsmith saw his playing time increase, Highsmith was the best rookie on the Steelers in 2020. 

There are many characteristics about Highsmith to be excited about. First, and most importantly, there’s his character. All signs point to Highsmith being a great guy to have in the locker room. He seems to be a good leader and hard worker who keeps his head down and stays out of the headlines. 

On the football field, his best characteristic might be his high football IQ. Pair that with solid production against both the pass and the run, and you see why Highsmith has a bright future. 

 Highsmith’s football IQ was on full display in the team’s first matchup with the Ravens. Early in the game, the Ravens ran a play where they snuck a fullback into the flat on Highsmith’s side of the defense. He stuck with the fullback, and Mark Andrews drifted into no man’s land behind Highsmith for an easy reception and big gain. 

Early in the second half, Baltimore ran the same play. This time, Highsmith originally ran with the fullback but recognized the play and drifted deeper, where he knew Andrews would be. Lamar Jackson didn’t read Highsmith, who high-pointed the ball for an easy interception. It’s just one play, but it perfectly encapsulates the football brain that Highsmith has.

Against the run, Highsmith was solid all season. Even before Dupree went down, Highsmith was putting good tape together against the run in limited action. He ended the season with 48 total tackles, five of them for a loss. Further, he rarely missed tackles, which is a very promising sign for an edge defender. 

With the speed and rushing ability of today’s running backs, and even many quarterbacks, it’s important to have a guy who can set the edge and be dependable to bring down ball carriers in space. Highsmith was just that this year, dependable. 

What was really impressive from Highsmith in 2020 was his success as a pass rusher. In college, he put some good pass rush reps on film. He is a good athlete for the position and has a variety of moves he likes to use. Putting it all together against NFL tackles in year one really stood out, though. His ghost rush became a favorite of many pass-rush analysts. He also used a spin move that had plenty of success. Though his numbers won’t blow anyone away (two sacks, five quarterback hits, 12 pressures), the consistency was there. According to PFF, Highsmith’s 16.5% pass-rush win rate was the best among rookies. Even when he’s not stuffing the stat sheet, Highsmith wins his individual matchups, a promising sign moving forward.

Week 17’s game with the Cleveland Browns was Highsmith’s best showing of the season. With T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward resting, Highsmith picked up the slack and then some. He racked up nine tackles (one for a loss) with a sack and a quarterback hit. He did this while playing all but two defensive snaps. 

Even without Watt opposite him to absorb some extra attention, Highsmith had by far his best game. If he can produce like that while playing alongside backups, he can produce over the course of a full season playing with Watt, Heyward, and Stephon Tuitt.

Looking ahead to 2021, production, like we saw in Week 17, will be expected to happen more consistently. He will be the started opposite of T.J. Watt. As we saw with Dupree’s career resurgence the past two years, playing with Pittsburgh’s strong defensive line can make the job of others much easier. 

With limited depth behind Highsmith and Watt, expect Highsmith to play in the 85-90% range of snaps every week. This offseason, he will continue to develop his bag as a pass rusher. Come 2021, he’ll be more than ready to assume the full-time starting position. 

Connor Deitrich is a Contributor with AllSteelers. Follow Connor on Twitter @CDeitrich22, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.