OUTSIDE LINEBACKER PREDICTIONS- TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Kyron Johnson
This may be a shocker to most, but TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith will keep their jobs going into the 2024 season. But in all seriousness, Watt and Highsmith are arguably the edge rusher duo in the league. The tandem racked up 26 sacks and 125 total tackles this past season and those numbers are only projected to go up this upcoming season. In 2023, Watt became the first player in NFL history to lead the league in sacks three separate times. Even with this record, Watt was not voted as the 2023-2024 defensive player of the year. So, heading into the 2024 season, Watt is ready to prove to the league that he is the best defensive player in the world.
Alex Highsmith on the other hand is coming off another great season. Alex Highsmith’s first year was a developmental year as he mostly sat behind Bud Dupree. However, in his second season, Highsmith was the full-time starter. Despite putting up decent numbers, it was his third year when things really got going. In 2022, Highsmith recorded 14.5 sacks and even led the league in forced fumbles. With these impressive stats, Highsmith received a nice extension worth 68-million dollars. This past season, while not having the flashiest numbers, Highsmith was a huge help in both the pass rush and stuffing the run. Highsmith proved that he deserved the extension and that he is great partner in crime to TJ Watt.
Nick Herbig is heading into his second year as a pro. Last preseason, Herbig was awarded the Rookie of Preseason, per PFF. Recording four sacks, helped get Herbig’s name out to Steelers fans. Herbig is the projected back-up to Highsmith and Watt this upcoming season. However, Herbig may still see a good chunk of playing time as he is so versatile as he can play both right and left outside linebacker. Even in 2023, with the limited amount of playing time he received, Nick was still able to rack up three sacks and two forced fumbles. Steelers fans hope for big things out of Herbig in 2024.
Last season, the Steelers had Markus Golden as the team’s other back-up linebacker. But with Golden becoming a free agent this offseason, the Steelers do not have a true replacement for him. Kyron Johnson was with the Steelers in 2023 and played in six games. With Johnson’s experience in the defensive scheme, it is likely that he will fill Golden’s spot in the defense. However, it would not be shocking if later this offseason, the Steelers sign someone similar to Markus Golden. Maybe a veteran who has starting experience to help develop Nick Herbig. A player who comes to mind is veteran edge rusher, Yannick Ngakoue. Despite being only 29-year-old, Yannick has played in eight seasons and has kept his production strong on every team he has played for.