Alex Highsmith has arrived, folks. The third-year outside linebacker out of Charlotte had his homecoming on Sunday, and he passed it with more than just flying colors. Highsmith racked up two quarterback hits, a sack, a forced fumble, and five pressures en route to maybe his most dominant performance since his three-sack display in the opener against Cincinnati.
Maybe it’s the lethal spin move that makes you drop your jaw every time he pulls it out. Perhaps, it is his ever-improving run defense that makes the step up. And if your taste is more in the world of power moves, Highsmith has developed quite a nifty bull rush.
All in all, Highsmith has parlayed those developments into a marvelous season. He has 11 sacks in total, a new career-high, and 7th most in the NFL, and he leads the Steelers in pressures with 45. Even without T.J. Watt, Highsmith averaged over three pressures per game, showcasing his ability to make an impact without his superstar running mate on the other side.
Highsmith took it to Ikem Ekwonu, who as a rookie has put together a strong season. Teams are even starting to slide toward Highsmith on some plays. Now, some of that can be due to the banged-up season that Watt is having, but a decent bit of it is exactly due to the respective teams that are starting to have for Highsmith. They view him as a viable threat, and he has proven to be one.
His run defense has taken a step up as well, and his ability to hold a strong edge has allowed the run defense to flourish to that side. When teams try to run off their left tackle, they average only 3.2 yards per carry-on the year. That is a direct correlation to Highsmith’s level of play from his spot this year.
For Highsmith, this will be the year with his most pass rush snaps and opportunities. So, some of his pass-rushing stats could go-to volume. But Highsmith is set to set a new career-high in pressure rate, disproving that theory. That is the type of true indicator that teams look for in their pass rushers to see if not only are they registering pressure, but if are doing it at a hyper-efficient level. Highsmith is doing that.
Even with strong performances from Larry Ogunjobi, T.J. Watt, Terrell Edmunds, Cam Heyward, and others, I’d venture to say there was no one better on the field than Highsmith Sunday. His homecoming is the shining example of the player that Highsmith has grown into in his third season.
Highsmith came into the NFL as a polished pass rusher that had to put the finishing touches on his moves and develop a serious power game. He did both of those things. However, coming out of Charlotte, his real weakness was in run defense, but this year, Highsmith is showing up in that area for a career-best year. Now, he is a fully complete outside linebacker that is not that far off from the league’s star tier.
Pittsburgh has one great duo at outside linebacker. Highsmith’s breakout has been a joy to watch, and his performance down in Charlotte only solidified his rising star status.