The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the middle of a very rare occurrence. They have three edge rushers that could realistically be described as "elite." The problem currently is that all three of them have been paid well, and it's going to be very hard for this team to keep all of them around beyond 2026. For now, however, the team is going to enjoy the ride and watch all of them give opposing offensive coordinators nightmares each week. The teams on Pittsburgh's schedule will have no chance to rest out on the edges.
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Pittsburgh Steelers edge rushers TJ Watt (#90) and Alex Highsmith (#56) stand on the playing surface during warm-ups prior to a 2021 matchup at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA.
It's not always sunshine and rainbows for these men; however, even the best players can't win certain matchups.. While making an appearance on the Highway 49 Podcast, star edge rusher Alex Highsmith revealed which offensive tackles have had their way with him the most throughout his career.
"Dion [Dawkins] is definitely one of those guys, you know. He's been league for a while; he's doing it at a high level," Highsmith said. "Garett Bolles, had some good match ups against him. Jordan Mailata from the Eagles, and then Trent Williams, played him when [we were] at the [San Francisco 49ers] in the '23 opening game. I'd say those few guys right there are the ones who I've gone against that I think are some of the tougher ones."
Even someone as technically polished as Highsmith has his share of guys that he does not like going against one-on-one. It especially hurts when it's against one team from the NFC, as he does not get the chance to earn redemption very often. Those bad games likely linger more because of that reason, as opposed to getting his chance to fight back and prove himself against some of these others.
The Steelers have been horrible against the Buffalo Bills since Highsmith was drafted. A lot of that is because Dion Dawkins typically has his way with Highsmith, which means they only need to worry about stopping TJ Watt. Pittsburgh has only one win in this time span, and all the losses are by double-digits. The former third-round pick's lone sack against them came in a 31-17 playoff loss.
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Steelers lineback Alex Highsmith tackles Bills running back Ray Davis during Pittsburgh's 26-7 loss in Week 13 of the 2025 NFL Regular Season.
Highsmith's early struggles against Garett Bolles makes sense, as he was a very young player that did not get many reps against him. In 2024, however, he recorded a sack and four tackles in a 13-6 win where the Denver Broncos could not get anything going on offense until it was too late. That may have been a good battle between two great players, but the Steelers' star won that one for the most part.
Steelers Have Proven To Have Trouble Figuring Out Key Pieces To Big NFC Teams
Eight tackles and a sack is a nice stat line for Highsmith; it's even better than what he did against Bolles. However, that stat is hidden behind two embarrassing defeats. The Steelers just can't figure out Jordan Mailata; they can't figure out the Philadelphia Eagles in general. Hopefully, the new coaching staff will help to change it, but the Eagles have proven to be able to do whatever they want.
What's really haunting is the Steelers' blowout defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 1 of 2023. That is the only time Highsmith has ever played them, so he has not been able to try to get the best of Trent Williams after the elite left tackle shut him down in the passing game. He will have to wait at least another year to try again, barring a potential trade after the 2026 season.
What do you think about Highsmith's struggles against some of these offensive tackles throughout his career? Do you think he will improve against some of these players soon? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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