Recent waiver claim Hamilcar Rashed takes 1st-team reps at OLB with Alex Highsmith out

Hamilcar Rashed Jr. spent the first 15 months as a professional as part of the New York Jets organization. It didn’t take long for him to notice the Pittsburgh Steelers don’t run things the same way.

“I love it. It’s obviously different, a totally different atmosphere here,” Rashed said after Monday’s practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “You pretty much do everything on your own and be a true professional here.

“When I got here two weeks ago Thursday and I had a feeling they were just going to throw me in, ‘Yeah I am gonna practice (that first day).’ And sure enough, I got here and I practiced and I was like ‘Oh, here we go, let’s do it.’ I just jumped on a moving train. No complaints.”

Especially not Monday for Rashed, who confirmed he was getting first-team reps at outside linebacker at practice. Of course, Rashed’s temporary promotion related to an injury to starter Alex Highsmith, but that Rashed impressed the coaching staff enough over all of five prior practices and two preseason games to earn such a designation is notable as he tries to earn a spot on the roster or practice squad.

“It’s a starting step, (and) getting reps (Monday) is just the opportunity,” Rashed said. “You never know what can happen, but I came in and put my head down and just keep working. I got reps (Monday) and maybe get more reps (Tuesday), but either way just focus on every day getting better, see what happens.”

Rashed had a solo tackle and two assists among 24 defensive snaps and 11 special-teams snaps during Saturday’s preseason win at Jacksonville. He had a sack of Drew Lock during the previous week’s home win against the Seattle Seahawks.

Not bad for a former 2021 undrafted player from Oregon State whose only NFL regular-season experience was as a practice-squad call-up for the Jets’ home loss to the Buffalo Bills last November.

“Hamilcar, I think he did a really good job this past week, just coming in making plays and stuff like that,” Highsmith said. “So I am excited to him again.”

The 6-foot-2, 251-pound Rashed played outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme in college but was on a 4-3 team with the Jets. He had 14 sacks over 11 games in 2019 for Oregon State.

“It’s just getting back to the basics of remembering how to play outside ’backer,” Rashed said. “That’s pretty much it.

“With the Jets, I was playing four-point stance, every down, ‘Go get ’em,’ pretty much… Obviously, it’s different here. Just little details in this game now going back to outside ’backer that you’ve got to remember.”

Rashed is amongst a group that includes Genard Avery, Derrek Tuszka, Delontae Scott and Ron’Dell Carter jockeying for position to serve as backups to Highsmith and All-Pro T.J. Watt.

For Monday, at least, Rashed was ahead of them all.

Hey, Steelers Nation, get the latest news about the Pittsburgh Steelers here.