Breakdown: Highsmith has a way with weaponry

The Steelers addressed one of the primary depth concerns on their roster by selecting edge rusher Alex Highsmith in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He profiles as an underdog who made a name for himself in his 15-sack senior season at UNC-Charlotte.

Behind T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree are only Ola Adeniyi and Tuzar Skipper with experience as edge rushers. Highsmith's skills make him a prime candidate to become the team's first replacement at the position.



When I listed 12 sleepers for the Steelers to consider last week, Highsmith was my second edge rusher. He stuck out because of the explosiveness on his first step off the snap and the different moves he flashed on tape as part of his regular pass rush skills.

I could show Highsmith's highlights from the season and how he terrorized other Conference USA teams like his 4.5 sack performance against Old Dominion. But a better example of Highsmith's talents can be seen all in one game against Clemson in September.

Clemson coach Dabo Sweeney praised Highsmith before the game and adjusted his backfield to help against his side of the defense as the game played out. Despite a 52-10 rout for Clemson, Highsmith shined with how he fought the entire game.

Watch him work the left tackle with a spin move to crash the pocket and force a rushed third down pass. Highsmith gets off the ball quickly and gets into his spin move with few setup steps.

What's impressive is how quickly Highsmith goes from pressuring the tackle to guard his outside shoulder to spinning to his inside shoulder so quickly that nobody can hit him before he gets to the quarterback: