Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith has been imitating since day one of training camp.
“Alex is always asking questions and trying to imitate some stuff that we do just to make sure that he is doing it correctly,” said Bud Dupree in September. “He’s ahead, man, doing really good. He is a smart kid, very athletic.”
Being ahead will come in handy, as Dupree, half of the star edge-rushing duo of Watt-Dupree, is out for the season.
Highsmith has big shoes to fill. Replacing a player of Dupree’s caliber can be a daunting task for a rookie. Highsmith’s needing to prove he has what it takes to be a starter, much sooner than anyone would’ve hoped or anticipated. But that’s life in the NFL. Backups like him are called upon without much notice every week. Pittsburgh is about to see how Highsmith fits in.
The Steelers snagged Highsmith in the third round of the NFL draft and whether they initially selected him to replace Dupree long-term or not is moot. He’s replacing Dupree’s now, and his future is all about how he responds in the present.
At a time of the season when depth is most depended on, it’s depleted. But, in usual Mike Tomlin fashion, he’s remained calm and cool. Just as they did with offensive tackle Zach Banner and inside linebacker Devin Bush, Tomlin is relying on depth to fill the void.
“Those guys work behind the scenes every day working very diligently preparing themselves for these opportunities not only in terms of knowing what to do but just preparing themselves in terms of conditioning for when we ring their bell,” Tomlin said in a press conference.
“We are ringing Alex Highsmith’s bell now, so it will be exciting to watch him respond to it. It will also be exciting to watch his growth because growth is associated with experience. No doubt in upcoming weeks he will be gaining a lot of that.”
Highsmith’s a rookie in label only because he hasn’t played much like one. In limited snaps (20 percent per game average), he’s contributed 20 tackles (14 solo), three tackles for loss, a quarterback hit and a batted pass.
Alex high-pointed a Lamar Jackson pass in Week 8 for a momentum-changing interception. The pick led to an Eric Ebron touchdown and put Pittsburgh within three points of Baltimore.
Although Alex Highsmith has a low snap count, he has produced an overall PFF Grade of 83.1 👀 pic.twitter.com/UwPzcByeW2
— PFF PIT Steelers (@PFF_Steelers) December 5, 2020
T.J. Watt, the player most affected by the loss of Dupree, said Highsmith has been preparing for this very moment from the minute he came to training camp. “Alex has been preparing like he’s been the starter this whole time,” Watt said in a recent press conference. “We have to trust that the coaches are going to put him in the best position and us in the best position to keep going forward. I have all the confidence in the world in our guys in this locker room that we’re going to be alright.”
Highsmith played mostly on the left side to spell Watt but now he’ll start on the right.
Developmental to starter
As with most of their picks in this year’s draft, the Steelers knew Highsmith was a developmental prospect. A walk-on at Charlotte, where he played defensive end, Highsmith enjoyed a breakout junior campaign with a career-best in tackles (60), tackles for loss (18) and sacks (3).
But before his final season, Highsmith changed from a 4-technique lineman to a pass rusher and became one of the most productive in college football. “I developed a passion for rushing the passer, and it was life-changing,” Alex told Steelers Wire in August.
In 2019, Highsmith contributed 75 tackles (21 for loss) and 14 sacks, which was the next-level potential that led to more frequent scouting, including from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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Most draftniks projected Highsmith as a backup, as NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote: “He currently projects as an NFL backup but his ascending play and production could push him into a bigger role if he can get bigger and stronger.”
Highsmith is now in that bigger role, and it officially begins today in his first NFL start versus a Washington Football Team that has given up the third-most sacks in the league.
“He has a good football mind and he does what we ask him to do,” said defensive coordinator Keith Butler. “You only have to tell him once, and he then he gets it.”
Highsmith is not as big, he’s not as fast, he’s not as experienced. He’s no Bud Dupree, but all he needs to be is Alex Highsmith and he’ll do just fine.
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