One way the Pittsburgh Steelers can move up in the draft—or back to acquire 2027 picks—is dealing a veteran player rather than a pure pick-for-pick trade. Patrick Queen has been the main focus of that possibility due to the Dallas Cowboys’ previous interest in him, but there is buzz around the league centered on OLBs Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig.
“Highsmith’s name, along with fellow edge Nick Herbig are definitely floating around front offices as the draft approaches,” Charles Robinson wrote via Yahoo Sports. “It seems that any trade would be a one-but-not-both scenario, with Highsmith the likelier candidate to get moved…With Herbig waiting in the wings and having been very productive while rotating with Highsmith and T.J. Watt, the Steelers are expected to take some calls on Highsmith if the phone rings. As one high-level personnel executive said, ‘I think they will trade one of them.’”
Robinson notes that Herbig’s name has also “come up in conversations” around the league, but Highsmith is viewed as the more acquirable player due to his age and the hefty new contract he is likely to sign in the next offseason or two.
Highsmith is coming off his second best season in terms of sack totals with 9.5 in 2025. That’s made even more impressive by the fact that he played just 13 games, and battled multiple injuries throughout the year. He probably carries the most trade value on the entire team given his inexpensive contract at the moment and his relative youth compared to splashier and more expensive options like T.J. Watt.
This is roughly in line with something Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac hinted at in a recent fan chat. Someone asked if Herbig could be traded, to which he responded “I think the trade would involve someone ahead of him.”
Pittsburgh drafted Jack Sawyer in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he showed promise during his rookie season, including a big sack-fumble forced in the Wild Card round of the playoffs to give the Steelers a small glimmer of hope. Pair that with T.J. Watt’s megadeal last offseason through the 2028 season and Herbig’s expiring contract after the 2026 season, and the Steelers have a big decision to make about the future of their outside linebacker room.
Herbig is the youngest and most promising option for the future, so it would make sense to clear the way for him to start and sign a long-term extension to stay with the team.
“That may happen only if the Steelers can move Highsmith in a deal. If that’s not achievable or simply not getting traction, there are going to be some teams calling about Herbig,” Robinson wrote. “That doesn’t mean he’s available, but other front offices sense the logjam the Steelers are dealing with.”
How much might Alex Highsmith be worth in a draft-day trade? Jaelen Phillips fetched a third-round pick for a half-season rental last year at the trade deadline. Highsmith is a better player, albeit slightly older. I would start the conversation at a second-round pick if I were the Steelers.
That value could be deployed in a number of ways, either to trade up or to acquire 2027 draft capital while hanging onto as many 2026 picks as possible.
A few weeks ago, several prominent draft analysts around the NFL media landscape started to connect the Steelers to edge rushers in the draft. It didn’t make much sense at the time, but perhaps they were hearing the same conversations that Robinson is now relaying.
The Steelers would be a worse team without Highsmith, who was arguably their best pass rusher last year, but it could be worth the risk with Herbig and Sawyer already in place.
If trading Highsmith is part of the plan, the draft is about to get very interesting.