With Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig ailing, Steelers' depth at OLB might get tested early on

A reasonable case can be made that T.J. Watt is the NFL’s best edge defender of his era.

A similarly rational argument could be posited that Watt and Alex Highsmith form the NFL’s best tandem of pass rushers off the edge.

Additionally, with a stat line of 8¹⁄₂ sacks over 606 career defensive snaps played — roughly the equivalent to 10 full NFL games’ worth — Nick Herbig can stake a claim to being one of the best backup edge defenders in the game today.

As such, it should come as no surprise that the Steelers’ outside linebackers are mentioned among the league’s elite.

“No matter who’s in there, we’re going to be productive as an ‘edge’ room,” Highsmith said earlier this week. “Having quality guys all around is just so important. I think we just have a great group in the edge room.”

On paper, it is quite a group, provided those who compose it stay healthy.

Highsmith dealt with a groin injury that kept him out of three weeks of training camp practices and all three preseason games. Herbig was limited to three snaps over the final two preseason games because of a hamstring injury.

With the regular-season opener fewer than 10 days away, coach Mike Tomlin offered no guarantee that either Highsmith or Herbig would be ready for the Sept. 7 game at the New York Jets. Speaking separately Wednesday, neither Highsmith nor Herbig explicitly would confirm their status for the opener.

If both are on the Week 1 practice/injury report, the Steelers believe the group can withstand the attrition.

Despite Watt’s status as a perennial NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate, this is far from a one-man show.

“This isn’t a shot to anybody that was here before, but I think since I’ve been here it’s the best depth we’ve had,” said Herbig, who joined the team in 2023. “It’s just, I’m not a rookie anymore, and (rookie Jack Sawyer) is a really good player. (DeMarvin) Leal’s a really good player who’s been in the league for a while and been in the system. And T.J. and Alex are getting better every year as well.

“So I think just as a whole, we’re kind of coming into our own, and we have a tight-knit group there.”

Watt is entering an NFL season as a 30-year-old for the first time, and Highsmith is entering his sixth pro season, each still at or near his prime. Herbig would be starting for many teams. Sawyer joined the Steelers as a fourth-round pick fresh off of helping lead Ohio State to the national championship.

“He’s come a long way since he’s been here,” Herbig said. “I think he’s going to have a breakout year.”

Behind the four at outside linebacker on the active roster are two players on the practice squad in Leal and Julius Welschof.

Leal, a 2022 third-round pick for the Steelers, played in 28 games until a neck injury ended his 2024 season in Week 5. Judging by training-camp and preseason-game deployment, Leal’s transition from undersized defensive tackle to outside linebacker is complete. Though he’s raw in that regard, Leal’s athleticism belies his status as the No. 5 for the Steelers at the OLB position.

The 6-foot-6, 265-pound Welschof is another highly athletic player who has needed refinement. Welschof grew up in Germany and took up American football as a teen.

Still, no one is arguing the Steelers won’t be better off if they had their full complement of outside linebackers at their disposal against the Jets.

Down the stretch of last season, Watt was hindered by an ankle injury. Herbig missed four midseason games because of a hamstring injury. Highsmith sat out six games because of groin and ankle ailments.

He’s hoping 2025 won’t start out similarly.

“Regardless, anytime you get injured, it’s frustrating,” Highsmith said Wednesday before the Steelers dispersed for a four-day break. “But it’s a part of the game. It happens, and, fortunately enough, it didn’t happen midseason. I’ve had some time to recover, take care of my body and, hopefully, be ready for Week 1.”