Alex Highsmith
Alex Highsmith
The Pittsburgh Steelers are loaded at outside linebacker, and there’s a lot of buzz surrounding future Hall of Famer T.J. Watt and fourth-year pro Nick Herbig entering the 2026 season under first-year coordinator Patrick Graham.
Watt needs a major bounce-back season, while Herbig landed a $100 million extension and has a lot of pressure on him this season to produce and make the contract worthwhile right away.
Alex Highsmith seems to be flying under the radar, though. After Herbig’s contract extension, some seemed to believe Highsmith would be the odd man out. Former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex believes he’ll be the Steelers’ best defender this season, though.
Co-hosting the latest episode of “The Snap Count” podcast with former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, Essex raved about Highsmith.
“I think people don’t realize that outside of Cam Heyward, Alex Highsmith was our best defensive player on the team last year, in my opinion,” Essex said of Highsmith, according to video via the show’s YouTube page. “…When he’s healthy, and he’s 100%, he is unblockable. And the thing is, people are talking about Nick Herbig, rightfully so. People are assuming that T.J. Watt’s gonna have a bounce-back year, rightly so. What they’re not talking about is Alex Highsmith.
“And I think he feels the disrespect, and I think he has something to prove, and I think he does that to the tune of the defensive player of the year for the Steelers.”
Health has been an issue with Highsmith. He’s missed nine games in the last two years, limiting his availability. But when he’s been on the field, he’s a disruptive force off the edge. Last season in just 13 games, Highsmith led the Steelers with 9.5 sacks, generating 44 pressures and grading out as one of the top EDGE defenders in football from Pro Football Focus.
Quietly, he’s a strong run defender, too, and has developed into a complete player in the Black and Gold. There are questions about his future in the Steel City, but entering the 2026 season, he’s poised for a big year under Graham.
With an improved defensive line alongside him, which will draw a lot of attention, Highsmith should face a lot of 1-on-1 matchups and could rack up the sacks and pressures once again, should he stay healthy.
If he stays healthy, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him in the conversation for the Steelers’ Defensive MVP in 2026. He’s that good, and that important to the defense.