The Pittsburgh Steelers have been very active in the trade market in recent years, and that is not expected to die down anytime soon. General Manager Omar Khan still needs to find his quarterback of the future, so he could end up throwing some players and draft capital around to load up on 2027 picks. Of course, Pittsburgh is also hyper-focused on trying to win now, so some of these player-for-pick deals may not be made until the trade deadline, or even the very next offseason.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan picks up the phone and has a conversation in the team's war room during the 2023 NFL Draft weekend as he speaks with someone on the other line.
There are a handful of players that could be dealt for capital, especially at the edge rusher position. The team has at least three players that could arguably start on any roster in the NFL, and they have a young fourth option in Jack Sawyer that could easily develop in that way too. Out of those four men, the most likely to get traded would be Alex Highsmith. He is a stud when healthy, but he is also not necessarily needed anymore.
Trading away Highsmith may see an underwhelming return though. In his latest mailbag, insider Brian Batko revealed exactly what the trade compensation for the star pass rusher would be.
"Probably a third-[round pick]," Batko said. "Maybe even less because of the injury history."
If he was healthy, Highsmith could be a first-round pick due to being everything you want in an outside linebacker in terms of physical play and mentality. He can be a threat off the blind side, set the edge to stop the run, and he's also possibly the most humble and quiet player on the team. He is a great role model for players to look up to and try to emulate in all facets. That would seem to make him worth a first-round pick in a trade.
Joshua A. Bickel / Associated Press
Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith sacks Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow during the 2022 season opener in Cincinnati, OH..
Highsmith's one fatal flaw is his ability to stay healthy. He has missed 10 games over the previous two seasons because of that, including landing on Injured Reserve (IR) in 2025. He will also turn 29 in August, so his prime is starting to run short. He is still an amazing player, but other teams will use that in negotiations to try and get Khan to give him up for a smaller return than he may hope for.
If Highsmith can stay on the field, he can be an absolute game wrecker. He could have easily had double-digit sacks in 2025 if it wasn't for his stint on IR, as he had 9.5 sacks in 13 games to go along with 15 tackles for loss, 15 quarterback hits, and a forced fumble. If it weren't for the constant health concerns, he might even be seen as an elite linebacker, because that's exactly what he is.
Steelers May Not Deal Highsmith At All
If Batko's report is right and a third-round pick is the best that the Steelers can get for Highsmith, the team may not see a reason to ship him off. Khan may love his trades, but he doesn't just make a deal for the sake of making a deal. He is usually very calculated when negotiating and figuring out if it's the right move or not. Unless he gets good value for the former third-rounder, he will stay in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward (97), linebacker Alex Highsmith (56), and defensive tackle Esezi Otomewo (93) during a regular season matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.
Keeping Highsmith also gives the Steelers a borderline unstoppable rotation at edge rusher. When he and/or TJ Watt need a breather, Sawyer and Nick Herbig can come in and continue to make life hard on opposing offensive linemen. A third-round pick would not be enough to break that dynamic up and weaken the depth at that position at all. Khan will want a premium pick in return.
What do you think about Highsmith's trade value? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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