The Steelers have led or tied for the NFL lead in sacks each of the past four seasons. Before they accomplished that feat, no team had done so in three consecutive seasons.
But for the first time in that stretch, they'll be breaking in a new outside linebacker, as Alex Highsmith will step in for Bud Dupree, who left in free agency for the Titans.
The hope for the Steelers is that the transition to Highsmith will go as smoothly as the one they made up front in 2020, when Tyson Alualu stepped in for Javon Hargrave at nose tackle and the team didn't miss a beat.
Highsmith will be the only new starter in that front five, with Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt on the other side of him and Cam Heyward, Alualu and Stephon Tuitt returning on the interior. It's as good a starting group as there is in the NFL, with Watt coming off a second-place finish in DPOY voting, Heyward being a former All-Pro and Tuitt having had a double-digit sack season in 2020.
Replacing Dupree, who had blossomed into a nice Robin to Watt's Batman, will be a tall task for Highsmith, one for which he has prepared himself for during the offseason.
No pressure, right kid?
"I am just coming in with the expectation, the mindset to be the best that I can be. I am coming in stepping into this role. I am excited and blessed to have this opportunity and I just know I have to go in and make the most of it," said Highsmith, a third-round pick in 2020. "I feel like when the opportunity is presented to me, I have to take advantage. That is something I have been working for this offseason and I am going to continue working for the last couple of months of this offseason. It's exciting. I'm ready for the challenge."
We'll begin to see if he's up to that challenge when the Steelers kick off their training camp at Heinz Field later this month.
Highsmith got an extended tryout for the position when Dupree was lost in Week 11 of last season to a torn ACL. Highsmith started the final five games of 2020 and then the team's playoff loss to the Browns.
He played well overall, but the absence of Dupree was certainly felt by Watt, who saw more double-teams down the stretch. Highsmith needs to be ready to take advantage of his opportunities. If Watt is doubled, that means Highsmith will be getting a single blocker.
"I feel like I can always just continue to work on my mental game, study more film and just have the best IQ I can have," said Highsmith. "One thing I came into this offseason wanting to do was get stronger, gain a few pounds, just put on a lot of muscle. I feel like I have done that. I feel like I have gotten stronger. Just be strong in the run game, strong in pass rush. Also, just polishing my moves. ... I am ready for people to see all that I have been working on."
That won't be the only thing on which the Steelers are working. They'd like to get a contract extension worked out with Watt, who led the NFL with 15 sacks last season.
He's playing this season on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, and the Steelers would like to sign him to a long-term deal. Those talks will heat up at the start of camp, and you can bet Watt's new deal will be in excess of an average of $20 million per year.
Heyward, Tuitt and Alualu combined for 17 sacks in 2020, with Tuitt recording a career-high 11. But at 28, he's also the youngster of that group. With that in mind, the Steelers traded up into the fifth round this year to select Isaiahh Loudermilk from Wisconsin to add to a group of backups that also includes 2020 seventh-round pick Carlos Davis, veteran Chris Wormley, Isaiah Buggs, a 2019 sixth-round pick, and former undrafted free agent Henry Mondeaux.
The defensive line might be the deepest position on the team and one at which perhaps the team could have a capable NFL player not make the roster or be traded.
They might not be able to say the same thing on the edge.
Behind Watt and Highsmith are veteran Cassius Marsh and rookies Quincy Roche, a sixth-round pick, and undrafted Calvin Bundage and Jamar Watson. Sorting out what the rotation will be among this group -- and if more help is needed at outside linebacker -- will be a big part of this training camp.
"We’re looking for the third guy," Keith Butler admitted. "We’ve always had a third guy that could come in. We’ve always wanted to have a third guy. Last year that third guy was Alex, of course. But we’re looking for a third guy right now who’s going to step up. Hopefully Cassius can give us a little help there too. We’ll see. We drafted a couple guys. We drafted one guy and we think he’s gonna be all right. We’ll see about that third guy. Cassius, we think, can help us there. We’ll see as we go along. Hopefully, we can stay healthy at that position and do some of the stuff that we did last year and do it better, if we can."