Steelers Scenario Series, Part 7: Best and Worst Cases for the Edge Rushers
The 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers roster is an intriguing mix of fresh talent and seasoned veterans on both sides of the ball, and each position group will have it’s own challenges to develop into an efficient, productive squad like the Front Office and Coaching Staff envision them to be. The Steelers don’t do hard resets and they never plan to be bad, and that philosophy brings with it the expectation for each group to provide winning level play every year.
With recent Draft picks looking to find their footing, new Free Agent and Trade acquisitions getting acclimated, and familiar faces returning for another year, there’s a lot of variables that play into fielding a winning roster. In this series, we’ll identify a “lynchpin” player (player who’s success or failure will most heavily impact the group) and a rising star for each position, as well as determine the best- and worst-case scenarios for the 2025 season based on the current roster.
Up next: Edge Rushers
Previous:
Offensive Line
Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Defensive Line
ON THE ROSTER
TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer (R), Jeremiah Moon, Julius Welschof
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Lynchpin Player: TJ Watt
Rising Star: Nick Herbig
BEST CASE SCENARIO
TJ Watt (under the terms of a massive new contract extension) goes all 2021 on the NFL in a bounce-back season of equal proportions to his mega-deal and returns to the All-Pro form we saw as recently as the first half of the 2024 season. He and the coaching staff figure out ways to get him more favorable matchups from multiple spots along the defensive front. Highsmith continues to operate as a quick-pressure maven off the opposite side, making a few more splash plays in 1-v-1 opportunities. Herbig and Sawyer form an explosive rotational duo, with Herbig subbing in on obvious passing downs as a prolific speed rusher, and Sawyer fitting in more on early downs, using his raw power and motor to muck up the backfield in the run and pass games.
WORST CASE SCENARIO
TJ Watt’s deal does not get done, and whether he holds out or is traded, he is a non-factor for the Steelers in 2025, leaving Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig as the top 2 rushers. While Highsmith might hold up as the top guy off the edge, he has benefited greatly from the attention Watt has garnered in their time together, and with Watt gone his impact is reduced as he earns more double-teams and chips. Herbig doesn’t improve as a down-to-down run defender, and Sawyer’s lack of elite athleticism limits him to a run-stuffing role. Overall the pass rush loses a ton of pop, cutting down on the splash play opportunities and the advantage it typically gives to the rest of the defense, especially this reworked secondary.
