While Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE rushing phenom T.J. Watt claimed national headlines with his game-sealing interception return, and Nick Herbig drew offseason praise, Alex Highsmith quietly delivered a masterclass performance in Pittsburgh’s Week 1 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Tasked with facing Atlanta's premier offensive tackle, Jake Matthews, Highsmith was relentless from start to finish. He set the tone on the game's opening drive and closed the door late, proving why he remains the crucial, unheralded engine driving Pittsburgh’s pass rush.
On “The Snap Count” podcast, co-hosts and former Steelers teammates Trai Essex and Charlie Batch highlighted Highsmith's dominant afternoon.
"Alex Highsmith was unblockable out there, and he was going
against their best offensive lineman, Jake Matthews. So, I want everybody to know, I said that this man was out pretty much because he is the one that kind of behind the scenes. Everybody's talking about, 'Whoa, T.J.'s not having a good year. He may not be the same person. Oh, Nick Herbig got this big contract; he's the next one up.' Nobody is saying Alex Highsmith's name.
“All he does when he's on the field is just make offensive tackles' lives miserable. Alex Highsmith needs to be on everybody’s watch list cuz that guy is out there performing just as good as any outside linebacker out there, and he needs his just due."
Batch echoed that sentiment, emphasizing how Highsmith's performance carried over directly from a strong training camp.
"The way that he started in this game is exactly how he's been in training camp. That intensity is now pouring on into that group, and they know in order for them to be great, that outside linebacker group has to be disruptive," added Batch.
Under new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, the Steelers deployed a strict rotation to keep their edge rushers fresh - Highsmith played 41 snaps, Watt 38, and Herbig 39.
That shared workload relies heavily on Highsmith's ability to win one-on-one matchups against elite tackles. By continually harassing Matthews, Highsmith unlocked the entire pass-rush rotation and proved he deserves to be in the elite edge rusher conversation.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Why Alex Highsmith is Pittsburgh's most underrated star
