Pittsburgh Steelers: Grading every pick in 2020 NFL Draft
By Samuel Teets
Round 3, Pick 102: Alex Highsmith, OLB, Charlotte
After investing their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on a position of strength, Pittsburgh continued the trend by taking an outside linebacker. Alex Highsmith joins a group that already features Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt. Dupree recently signed his franchise tag tender, meaning the former first-round pick will play in Pittsburgh for at least one more season. That also automatically means Highsmith won’t get a chance at a starting spot.
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The Steelers took Highsmith with the 102nd overall pick in the draft. At Charlotte, the 6-3, 248-pound edge rusher produced 75 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, and 15 sacks during his senior season. He finished his four-year collegiate career with 185 tackles, 47 tackles for loss and 21 sacks.
Highsmith excels against the run and possesses an arsenal of developing moves to deal with blockers. However, some scouts worry that he doesn’t have NFL power yet and could get blown away by significantly bigger linemen. Highsmith’s lower body doesn’t bend enough either, and his hand usage is lackluster.
NFL Network gave Highsmith a 5.99 grade on their 8.0 scale, which almost classifies him as a “developmental traits-based prospect”. However, he sat far enough down the draft board that analyst Lance Zierlein didn’t even come up with a player comparison for the young man.
Frankly, this feels like a reach on Pittsburgh’s part. Maybe it’s part of the plan if Dupree leaves in free agency next spring, but Highsmith doesn’t look like an eventual starter. If the Steelers wanted a real defensive presence, Boise State’s Curtis Weaver was available when they took Highsmith. It’s also disappointing the team took a linebacker over an interior offensive lineman.
Final Grade: C