The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t kick off training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe until late July. That gives us plenty of time here at Steelers Depot to debate some important topics.
Today, Ross McCorkle, Jake Brockhoff and I debate which of the three Steelers edge rushers will have the most sacks in 2026. Will it be franchise icon T.J. Watt, veteran Alex Highsmith, or the young Nick Herbig, fresh off a big contract extension?
Ross McCorkle broke down the snap counts of each pass rusher during the eight games last year when all three were healthy. Unsurprisingly, Watt played the most snaps per game with Highsmith in second followed by Herbig.
However, will that change this year? And if snap counts change, what will that mean for the sack totals?
WHICH EDGE RUSHER WILL FINISH 2026 WITH THE MOST SACKS, T.J. WATT, ALEX HIGHSMITH, OR NICK HERBIG?
JEREMY PIKE — ALEX HIGHSMITH
Highsmith missed four games last season, which was a disappointment. However, he was still quite effective in those games, leading the team with 9.5 sacks. Over a 17-game season, he would have finished with approximately 12.5 sacks based on his per-game rate.
Highsmith continues to be one of the top pass rushers in the league when you look at Pro Football Focus’ data. When our own Clayton Eckert looked at how PFF broke down the three outside linebackers on this list, Highsmith was a top-15 pass rusher in both pass rush-win rate and pass-rush productivity.
And even though we are talking sacks, Highsmith is a phenomenal run defender. What does that have to do with sacks? Well, being really good against both the pass and the run means Highsmith should continue to see the field a lot. The more time he spends on the field, the more opportunities he will have to get after the quarterback.
The concern? His health. Highsmith only played in 11 games in 2024 and 13 last season. He’s aware that his injuries are holding him back, and he has talked about the steps he’s taking to keep his body right.
If Alex Highsmith is healthy, even for just the majority of the 2026 season, he will continue to be a force for the Steelers’ defense. A healthy Alex Highsmith is a nightmare for opposing offenses, and he’ll prove it by leading the Steelers’ outside linebacker corps in sacks again.
JAKE BROCKHOFF – NICK HERBIG
Through the first couple years of Herbig’s career, nobody blocked him better than Watt and Highsmith, and their presence was the only reason he played limited snaps. That’s why he figured to be the most complicated of the group of Steelers eligible for contract extensions this offseason.
But Pittsburgh recently rewarded Herbig with a four-year, $100 million deal. While it’s not close to the top of the edge-rusher market, it’s certainly a lot of money to give to a third edge rusher, which has drawn the Steelers some criticism. But it also clearly signals that the Steelers view him as more than just a third edge rusher.
Herbig nearly led the Steelers in sacks last year. Highsmith finished first with 9.5, with Herbig a close second at 7.5. He finished ahead of Watt, who managed just seven, despite Watt playing nearly 200 more snaps. And compared to those two, Herbig was arguably more productive with his opportunities, leading the team with 29 total pressures. Herbig also finished first in the league in pass-rush win rate at 25 percent while neither Watt nor Highsmith landed in the top 20.
The Steelers’ defense has been stale in recent years, but it did flirt with having all three of them on the field last season. The more creative the Steelers can be, the better it suits Herbig. It could lead to more plays like this, with Highsmith and Watt on the edge and Herbig using his agility against interior blockers and running backs.
Creativity isn’t going to go away with new DC Patrick Graham; it should only increase. During his last stop in Las Vegas, he moved Maxx Crosby around the line of scrimmage, which resulted in plenty of success. Herbig has proven himself capable of making an impact when he gets a chance. Now, the Steelers have 100 million reasons to get him more involved.
ROSS MCCORKLE – T.J. WATT
Mike McCarthy stated his intentions to not throw the baby out with the bath water when he joined the Steelers in a rare changing of the guard for a typically stable franchise. Part of that was not making sweeping changes with the main personnel. They added some pieces but didn’t subtract anything notable.
At the end of the day, Watt is still the one on a $41 million APY contract. Let’s not forget the reason he was given that contract.
Coming off his worst season in pressures, QB hits, sacks and overall pass rush efficiency since his rookie season, it’s fair to wonder if Watt’s best days are behind him. Maybe they are, but he doesn’t have to be breaking sack records to still be the best pass rusher on the Steelers, and one of the best in the NFL.
Most of his struggles the past two seasons were a direct result of being chipped more than any pass rusher in the league. Offensive coordinators around the league figured out how to limit his impact. Some of that is because of his self-admitted stubbornness of only rushing from one side and refusing to move around. Some of that was also because the book was out on Mike Tomlin’s defense. After 20 years in the league, everybody knew exactly what he wanted to do.
All that predictability goes out the window now. A new defensive coordinator, a new system and a mandate for all players to move around the defensive front. Good luck planning an entire offensive attack around chipping Watt when he rushes from the other side, or even up the middle at times.
Watt should also benefit greatly from Derrick Harmon taking a big step in Year 2. At the most basic level, 3-4 defensive linemen are meant to free up linebackers to make plays. If Harmon can turn into the force he was drafted to be, Watt should have a lot more freedom to wreak havoc on the game.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning the snap distribution when all three of Watt, Highsmith and Herbig were healthy last year.
That will change some with the new coaching staff, but Watt is still the top dog and should rightfully be getting the most snaps. In 2026, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him double his seven-sack total from last year.