Pittsburgh Steelers: Alex Highsmith, EDGE
Outside linebacker Bud Dupree had a breakout campaign for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 when the former first-round pick had 68 tackles and 11.5 sacks. The Steelers weren’t ready to give him a big contract though since he hadn’t been playing at that level for very long which led to him being slapped with the franchise tag.
Playing on that one-year deal, he had 31 tackles and eight sacks in 11 games before tearing his ACL in Week 12 which prematurely ended his final season with the team that drafted him back in 2015. With him out, the Steelers saw Alex Highsmith step in and play at a high level.
The third-round pick from Charlotte did enough to convince Pittsburgh to allow Dupree to walk in free agency — as did their proximity to the ceiling of the salary cap — and he signed a massive deal with the Tennessee Titans. There will be concerns for the Titans with Dupree since he’s still recovering from the injury and he didn’t truly take off until T.J. Watt arrived and took the majority of the attention.
Pittsburgh won’t have to worry about that, however, as they can simply slide Highsmith into the starting spot. He should be able to take advantage of the one-on-one opportunities afforded to him by Watt as he becomes a favorite in the Steel City.