Will a Boost in OLB Deflate Steelers Special Teams?
The Steelers swapped a veteran for a rookie this spring, and their outside linebacker core got better. But Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt don't need Pro Bowl backups. The real question is whether other aspects of the team suffer to make the OLB depth chart better?
Outside Linebackers on the Roster
T.J. Watt
Bud Dupree
Alex Highsmith
Ola Adeniyi
Tuzar Skipper
James Lockhart
DPOY Finalist, T.J. Watt
Heading to training camp, all eyes will be on three players - Watt, Dupree, and Highsmith. The two starters and rookie are expected to be the now and future of the Steelers edge rushing core, heading into 2020 with some decently big expectations.
For Watt, he's already a Defensive Player of the Year candidate to many. Finishing third last season, and adding 14.5 sacks to his resume, the All-Pro is only expected to get better.
Fans are upset over his Madden rating, ESPN ranking, and quite frankly, anything that says Watt isn't the best edge rusher in the NFL. And they might be right.
Watt's only 25-years-old and already has 34.5 sacks to his name in the NFL. The Steelers' secondary is more put together than it's been during his three years in Pittsburgh, which should give him more opportunities to find the quarterback.
High expectations aren't an over-exaggeration. Watt walks into training camp as possibly the best player on the roster.
Bud Dupree and Alex Highsmith
His running mate, Dupree, is a more prominent headline for the future than he is right now. 2019 was the first time the Steelers felt they found a star in the former first-round pick, and they're looking to see that continue in 2020.
Dupree earned himself a franchise tag worth $15.8 million this season. He deserved it. But if he's looking to land a contract with that same pay rate in the spring, he needs to have another double-digit sack season.
Dupree is still somewhat of a question mark heading into camp. Before he steps on the field, 2019 is enough of a reason to leave hope for back-to-back impressive seasons, which is also enough to start preparing for his departure.
Bringing us to Highsmith. Dupree is a Pro Bowler in the making. 2020 should be the year this pass rusher finds himself representing the AFC in January. And if that happens, it's the end of his time in Pittsburgh.
The price tag that comes with a player like Dupree was in 2019 is too high for the Steelers to make work. They'll need to work deals out with Watt, Cameron Heyward, Mike Hilton, and some big-name offensive talent before they can consider paying Dupree edge rusher money.
So, they brought in Highsmith. Someone who won't play much defense in 2019, but has the potential to replace Dupree after his rookie campaign.
Circling back to parts of this team suffering because of the draft pick, it refers to Highsmith's special teams work.
Before he replaces Dupree, the third-round pick will need to replicate Anthony Chickillo's special teams work.
Chickillo tallied 97 tackles and 7.5 sacks during his five years with the Steelers. At his best, he only played 30% of the defense's snaps during a season. However, outside of his rookie year, Chickillo was one of the most involved special teamers on the roster.
From 2016-2019, Chickillo played over 50% of special teams snaps each season. 2017 and 2018, those percentages were over 70%, totaling 644 snaps.
The Steelers replaced Tyler Matakevich with Derek Watt and resigned Jordan Dangerfield. Two-thirds of their special teams aces remain filled. Now, Highsmith needs to complete the trio, for at least a season.
"Special teams is something I take pride in," Highsmith told reporters during the NFL Draft. "I know how important it is to winning games and how key it is. I feel like that's another thing I bring to the table".
If we're going to trust anything, we're going to trust his word. For now, Highsmith is the final piece to the special teams puzzle.
Tuzar Skipper and Ola Adeniyi
Both Skipper and Adeniyi are "training camp players" like no other. The excitement these two have brought over the last two summers has gotten fans, and the team fired up.
While neither are viewed as extensive contributors during the regular season, they bring potential - and flair - to the roster. As backup outside linebackers, that's all you can ask for.
Highsmith will steal the show early, and maybe throughout camp, but Skipper and Adeniyi's past leaves reason to believe they'll be making plays in August.
Without much hitting or any preseason games, neither will become the sensation they have in the past. They'll still be looked at as players with something more to prove. If they make a few plays here and there, they could find themselves playing more defensive reps than Highsmith in the early portion of the season.
Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.
