Best 2021 NFL breakout candidate from every team

By Randy Gurzi | Jun 28, 2021

ASHBURN, VA - JUNE 02: Ryan Fitzpatrick #14 of the Washington Football Team hands the ball off to Antonio Gibson #24 of the Washington Football Team during the organized team activity at Inova Sports Performance Center on June 2, 2021 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

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PITTSBURGH, PA – DECEMBER 27: Alex Highsmith #56 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in action during the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Heinz Field on December 27, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) /

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.

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