The Pittsburgh Steelers may garner notoriety for their ability to draft and develop wide receivers, but a deeper dive shows the ability to cultivate multiple positions.

One of those positions is edge rusher, with the latest home-grown duo of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith proving as such. 

But with the former already receiving his pay day, and the latter seeking his own, I'm going to explain why signing Highsmith to a huge extension may not be a great idea. 

Alex Highsmith was drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Charlotte by Pittsburgh. He sat behind Bud Dupree his rookie year before starting in 16 games in 2021, taking over the full-time role opposite T.J. Watt when Dupree departed for the Titans in free agency. 

And while Highsmith showed flashes in 2021, he took the NFL by storm last season, recording 14.5 sacks, and tying the league high for forced fumbles with 5. Still only 25, Highsmith is just starting his prime and while under contract with Pittsburgh through 2023, he will be a free agent after this season. 

That means that if Pittsburgh wishes to keep Highsmith, they should start working on an extension now, hammering out the details before the season starts and not even risking the possibility of losing him in free agency. 

And to be candid, I fully support the front office in their efforts to extend Highsmith. He has developed both physically and technically since his days at Charlotte, proving he can be an above-average pass rusher. 

What concerns me, is the potential figure that Pittsburgh would have to pay to keep Highmsith off the open market. Spotrac projects Highsmith’s market value at four years and $55.6 million, which averages out to under $14 million dollars APY. 

You can sign me for that deal every day of the week, as that's a bargain compared to the top of the position group who easily clear the $20 million dollar mark and above. But as Mark Kaboly of The Athletic pointed out, Spotrac's projection would likely be the starting point for Highsmith:

That number would likely be on the low end of Highsmith’s extension. Four years might be on the high end, as well, for a 25-year-old who is just breaking out. With Highsmith seemingly just scratching the surface and the Steelers' defense so reliant on edge pressure, his salary could push to as much as $17 million per year with significant guarantees into the second year of the deal.

Kaboly's last sentence is where the concern begins however, as an average of $17 million per year would place him in the top 10 of edge rushers in average salary per year (APY), something that I don't think Highsmith has proven yet.

Of the aforementioned 14.5 sacks last season, only three of them occurred when T.J. Watt was out with his pec tear, pointing to an inability to sack the passer when he is the main rusher that offenses are concerned about. 

And I want to reiterate the fact that the Steelers should extend Highsmith. The reasons why have been noted. But as they say, the devil is in the details and I believe that Highsmith will need to double down on his 2022 season before he garners top-10 edge compensation.