The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a busy few days ahead of the draft. With a lucrative total of 12 picks, some teams will definitely try to make an agreeable offer to steal some of their top ones. But they could also think of using this opportunity to move some pieces on their roster. There are some names that have emerged as expendable talents now, and the team could use some freed-up space.

“There is growing buzz around the league that the #Steelers could deal one of Alex Highsmith or Nick Herbig during the draft. According to one insider, Highsmith is viewed as being the more likely candidate.” Insider Ross McCorkle posted on X.

Alex Highsmith remains a proven veteran who recorded 9.5 sacks in 2025, and Nick Herbig continues to stand out as a young and productive option. Watt, on the other hand, is the star of the group and is on a big three-year, $123 million contract extension. All these players are good enough to start, but only two can play at a time. That means others must rotate or sit. And looking at where each talent is in their contracts with the Steelers, Highsmith is the easiest option.

“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,” Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson wrote. “As one high-level personnel executive said, ‘I think they will trade one of them.'”

Alex Highsmith is coming off a great 2025 season. He only played 13 games, but finished with 50 total tackles (36 solo), 9.5 sacks, which is the highest on the team, three passes defended, and one forced fumble. A production like that is a high-value opportunity for the Steelers because the edge can easily ask for a higher price from teams interested in him. Highsmith is currently in the midst of his $68 million contract extension, which will last till 2027. Even though he is 28 years old, he is still deserving of a better contract because of his potential.

A lot of edge-needy teams are going to line up for Alex Highsmith. But Pittsburgh could always help itself in the draft with this trade. Since Highsmith is a top candidate, the team could easily ask for a second-round pick to find some quality, developmental talent from the draft. The 2027 draft is a priority for the Steelers, since quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the bigger question on the roster. They need to find a franchise quarterback to replace the veteran.

When it comes to Nick Herbig, things become tricky for Pittsburgh.

Nick Herbig trade a grey area for Steelers

Herbig is still a very fresh face for Pittsburgh, who has only played three seasons for them so far. He is the one who used to be rolled out on a rotational basis. If the Steelers still want to stick with veterans Highsmith and Ward, Herbig will be shopped around as a developmental prospect. A lower round pick could come up in talks if teams are interested in him. But Herbig has also proven to the team that he can now take on a bigger role.

Last season, he filled in when Highsmith and Ward missed time, and ended up leading the team second in sacks (7.5). With Highsmith probably not being in the picture for Pittsburgh in the near future, Herbig can easily take over for him. Trading him is both good and bad for the Steelers, which is why Alex Highsmith is the better candidate. Behind them, year 2 talent Jack Sawyer stabilises the team’s edge-rushing needs in the depth.

Linking the Steelers to edges in the draft seemed improbable, since they had no need for it. But now that there is more space being freed up in either Alex Highsmith or Nick Herbig, those speculations make sense, too. And, this seems to be something that the Steelers are genuinely interested in, because general manager Omar Khan said, “You can’t ever have enough [edge rushers].”