The Pittsburgh Steelers did not end up where they wanted to be in 2022. Alex Highsmith and the rest of the team can attest to that. What started out as what many thought was a lost season, quickly turned into a scorching hot finish and falling just short of the postseason.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
The bad news is obvious, no playoffs. This team could have made some noise potentially as they were riding a wave of momentum and would’ve been heading to the playoffs on a four-game win streak and a 6-1 record in their last seven. The good news is there was a lot of young talent that grew as the year went on, Highsmith being a prime example.
Highsmith took a huge leap in year 3, finishing the year with 14.5 sacks. This more than doubles his output from last year (6), and almost his whole career sacks until this point (8 total). It was a huge step forward for the young man who is going into his contract year.
Being A Third Round Pick Fuels Highsmith
Highsmith recently sat down with Dale Lolley and talked about his breakout season. Lolley asked if Highsmith knew he had this in him:
"Yeah, you know I’m just so grateful for this year. I felt like it was a big jump for me and that’s what I really wanted to do going into this year. Just taking that third year jump."
Highsmith was highly available this season. He not only played all 17 games, but played 88% of snaps on defense. He accredited his conditioning to this level of availability and durability:
"It starts in practice... I also take conditioning seriously. Just to be able to go out there and play a lot of snaps... I think it just starts with getting in shape and conditioning, really taking practice seriously. Training camp is where you get yourself ready for the season. Actually being in pads, hitting guys. That’s how you really get into shape."
Lolley then asked if Highsmith has a chip on his shoulder:
"Absolutely. Always will, always have been. Ever since being a walk on. I’ll always have that chip on my shoulder... I never want to get complacent or comfortable. I’m so grateful and thankful for the opportunity I have, but at the same time, I want continue to get better and better every single year."
Steelers linebackers T.J. Watt (#90) and Alex Highsmith (#56) run a drill during 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Highsmith certainly has gotten better every year. He has doubled his sack total and then some each year. Although it’s hard to expect him to end up with 29 sacks next year, there’s no reason to not believe he is done improving.
Highsmith has become a premier pass rusher in this league alongside his running mate TJ Watt. As a matter of fact, when Watt was on the field, that's when Highsmith was most productive. Without Watt, Highsmith had only 3.5 sacks. When Watt was on the field, he had 11. Some may take this as a sign that Highsmith isn’t good without Watt, but it’s more of a credit of how good the two work together in my opinion.
This wasn’t just the case for Highsmith, however. The entire defense was different when Watt played. Without Watt, the team went 1-6, allowing 24.4 PPG and had just 8 sacks and 5 takeaways. With Watt, the Steelers went 8-2, and the defense averaged 16.9 PPG. They also had 18 takeaways and 32 sacks. The defense and team flow better when Watt is active, no denying it.
This does not take away from Highsmith being dynamic as well, and only adds to the case that he and Watt, when healthy, are one of, if not the most lethal edge rusher duo in all of football.
If Highsmith continues to use that chip on his shoulder to fuel his improvement, the sky is the limit for these two and the defense as a whole. As mentioned before, he is heading into his contract year and an extension could be coming as early as this off-season. It remains to be seen what happens, but one thing is for sure, Highsmith will be working to continue to prove his worth for this team and in this league.
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