Without a doubt, Alex Highsmith is one of the NFL’s top guys when it comes to defense. According to ESPN, though, the Pittsburgh Steelers star is projected to join the likes of Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons and Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett as the top guys to finish the 2024 season with a lot of sacks.
Highsmith was drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft after playing college football at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Before the start of his pro career, he had a successful college career, earning first-team All-Conference USA honors in 2018 and 2019. As a senior in 2019, he set school records with 14 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss, and was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press.
In his rookie season with the Steelers in 2020, Highsmith recorded his first career interception and sack. He continued to improve in his second and third seasons, recording six sacks in 2021 and a team-high 14.5 sacks in 2022, along with a league-leading five forced fumbles.
ESPN Projects Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker Alex Highsmith To Finish Top 5 in Sacks Next Season
Before the new season begins, Highsmith is among the guys projected to make a lot of sacks in the NFL. This comes from an analysis done by Seth Walder for ESPN.
“Projected 2024 sacks: 11.2
ESPN BET over/under: Not listed
2023 sack total: 7.0We’re projecting a big jump for Highsmith (and I’ll get into the comparison between him and T.J. Watt shortly) after a down 2023 season. That might seem odd, but the model finds plenty of signal in Highsmith’s 2022 performance, when he broke out with 14.5 sacks.
And while he fell to 7.0 sacks last season, his 21% pass rush win rate at edge ranked 12th at the position. I’m not surprised the model likes him, but I am surprised it likes him this much,” Walder wrote.
In July 2023, Highsmith signed a four-year, $68 million contract extension with the Steelers, solidifying his status as a key part of the team’s defensive core. In the 2023 season, he has already made a significant impact, including an interception returned for a touchdown and a forced fumble in a Week 2 win over the Cleveland Browns.
With his combination of size, athleticism, and pass-rushing ability, Alex Highsmith has established himself as one of the top young linebackers in the NFL and a rising star on the Steelers’ defense. For sure, Pittsburgh fans will keep an eye out for him to see if ESPN’s projection can come true.
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