Player: OLB Alex Highsmith
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: After battling a groin injury during training camp, Alex Highsmith appears good to go for the Steelers’ season opener. He has not found his name on the injury report, though that is not a surprise. He already told reporters he will absolutely play on Sunday, but it’s still important to get participation confirmation.
When Alex Highsmith is healthy, he is arguably one of the best edge rushers in the NFL. Unfortunately, he has found himself contending with nagging soft-tissue injuries too many times throughout his career. He has suffered multiple such injuries during training camp, though this time, it appears less severe.
In years past, Highsmith was limited early in the regular season by one soft-tissue ailment or another. Although he grappled with another this year, it seems he is good to go. At the very least, he is practicing at whatever level the Steelers consider to be full participation.
Last season, Alex Highsmith missed six games due to injury, as well as chunks of time in others. He still managed to record six sacks and nine tackles for loss in spite of that. But recently, he hasn’t come close to matching his 14.5-sack season in 2022. Can he do it this year with a bolstered secondary and defensive front?
In order to find out, he will need to stay healthy. Before last season, Highsmith hardly ever missed a game, but he had stretches where he played hurt. This time around, it appears he had sufficient time to heal before he has to play. And that’s good news for the Steelers, because they need their pass rush at full strength this year.
With regular season on the way and the roster in place, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract. Oh, and they also traded some guy named George Pickens, which people found significant.
After a long offseason, we finally know what this Steelers team will look like for the 2025 season. The dust is long settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft, and now we’re into the real thing. What final moves might the team make, if any? They’ve certainly made a flurry of moves, though some question whether they make much difference. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
