Pittsburgh Steelers 2020 NFL Draft Grades
By John Newman
Grade: B-
Some Steelers fans may be apprehensive about a defensive end from a school they’ve never heard of. After all, Charlotte 49ers games don’t often make it on the College Football television lineup. But Steelers fans can relax, as he is unlikely to see much action in 2020.
The Steelers have two great edge rushers this season and won’t need Highsmith on the field, except as a role player. But, Colbert will eventually need to find the defense at least one new pass-rusher before the start of the 2021 season. Bud Dupree is under the franchise tag while T.J. Watt is on a rookie deal and will likely be looking for a new contract after 2020.
In the meantime, the Pittsburgh Steelers can spend time developing senior defensive end Alex Highsmith. He is 6-foot-3, 248-pounds, and while definitely a developmental player, he also does many things well on the field. With a season of development and a proper NFL workout regime, it is entirely possible he could be the team’s starting edge rusher in 2021.
Highsmith is fast off the line of scrimmage and has strong hands to swipe away offensive blockers. He can get to the passer quickly on pass-rushing situations, although he is a little rusty on run-stopping plays. But considering he didn’t start playing purely as an edge rusher until 2019, there is still plenty of room for development. And the speed off the edge is good enough to warrant a late Day Two pick.
https://twitter.com/CharlotteFTBL/status/1253895588749459456
Highsmith had 15 sacks in 2019, which was the most by any player in the Conference USA, according to Sports Reference. With 40 tackles for a loss in the last two seasons, Highsmith showed he has the speed to be disruptive in the backfield.
Even Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had this to say about Highsmith: “He’s physical, fast, disruptive. He’s causing sacks and tips. Really, really good football player. That No. 5 could play for anybody in the country”, according to Highsmith’s player bio.
Highsmith, of course, isn’t a perfect pass-rusher and the Pittsburgh Steelers will likely keep him as a developmental player in 2020. He is a bit undersized for an NFL pass-rusher and will need time to acclimate himself to the pace of NFL blockers.
But the level of improvement Highsmith showed from 2018 to 2019 was impressive and it was all thanks to him becoming a pure outside pass-rusher, after spending his first two seasons playing linebacker. If Highsmith can put on some weight and get comfortable against NFL offensive line talent, his speed after the snap is good enough to carry him in a starting rotation.
https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1208087928519430145
Colbert gets a B- here because this pick feels like an attempt to draft a high-ceiling, high-risk player that can possibly develop quick enough to replace Dupree next season. And while you aren’t going to find a ton of starting talent late in the third round, Colbert could have found a prospect that was more useful in the upcoming season, as there were plenty of backup level players still available at 102.
But Highsmith showed enough in 2019 to get drafted in the 2020 NFL Draft. He has experience leading a defensive line and is the speedy pass-rusher NFL coaches are looking for. If Dupree and the team can’t come to a new contract after 2020, the Pittsburgh Steelers will need a replacement edge rusher in 2021. Highsmith could be that player.