Alex Highsmith is a career quality starter — a linebacker whose body of work places Highsmith in the top quarter of all players at the position historically. The Knox model values sustained contribution over flash, and Highsmith's career arc reflects exactly that kind of reliable professional-grade performance.

LBPIT#56ACT

Alex Highsmith

Top 21% all-time linebackersReliable Starter🌅 Early Bloomer · 2021

Height6'4"

Weight242 lb

BornAug 7, 1997

Age28

CollegeCharlotte See College Stats

ConferenceConference USA

Rookie yr2020

Draft2020 · Rd 3, Pick 102 · PIT

Archetype Intelligence

Reliable StarterExplore archetypes →

A linebacker with a top 30% among starters — the kind of consistent contributor every roster needs. Solid availability (excellent availability over their career) added to their value.

Career Value · VORP

VORP 62 · #1769 · Above Average

Worth 62 points of value above a freely-available replacement linebacker — top 39% of all 4,642 ranked at the position. 6 of 6 seasons cleared the replacement bar, by +10.3 on average.See board →

Seasons above replacement

6 cleared

Beat replacement (adds to VORP) Below it — adds 0, never a debit

Replacement

the KC-H bar

→

Seasons over

cleared the bar

+10.3

Avg surplus

peak +14

6 seasons × ~10.3 surplus ≈ VORP 62

Combined Season Grid

The full season-by-season grids, joined on one timeline. Every selected stat family stays visible at once—no tab hopping.

3 grids split in one view

Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Defense													Snap Counts						Advanced Defense & Coverage (2018+)
Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Tkl	Solo	Ast	TFL	QBHits	Sk	Dis	Int	PD	FF	FR	TD	Sfty	Off	Off%	Def	Def%	ST	ST%	Tgt	Cmp	Cmp%	RateAll	ADOT	Prss	Hrry	QBKD	Bltz	MissTkl	Miss%
2020	—	PIT	14	—	39	23	16	5	6	2.0	13.0	1	1	0	—	0	0	—	0.0%	437	41.6%	270	59.3%	9	5	0.6	35.2	5.8	12	6	4	36	2	0.0
2021	—	PIT	16	—	65	37	28	15	15	6.0	36.0	0	0	1	—	0	0	—	0.0%	851	76.5%	60	12.8%	11	8	0.7	79.4	0.3	26	12	7	63	6	0.1
2022	—	PIT	17	—	60	35	25	12	20	14.5	46.5	0	1	5	—	0	0	—	0.0%	941	88.9%	48	12.6%	8	5	0.6	66.7	-0.5	28	6	6	65	3	0.0
2023	—	PIT	17	—	51	28	23	8	18	7.0	33.0	2	3	2	—	1	0	—	0.0%	910	80.5%	59	13.0%	11	6	0.5	20.5	0.1	26	7	11	61	3	0.1
2024	—	PIT	11	—	40	23	17	9	13	6.0	28.0	0	2	1	—	0	0	—	0.0%	525	74.4%	37	12.4%	3	3	1.0	97.2	1.7	20	6	8	29	0	0.0
2025	—	PIT	13	—	50	36	14	15	19	9.5	43.5	0	3	1	—	0	0	—	0.0%	634	72.8%	8	7.5%	13	7	0.5	67.8	2.5	23	4	9	19	2	0.0
Career		—	88	—	305	182	123	64	91	45.0	200.0	3	10	10	—	1	0	—	0.0%	4,298	72.5%	482	19.6%	55	34	—	—	—	135	41	45	273	16	—

Defense

Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Tkl	Solo	Ast	TFL	QBHits	Sk	Dis	Int	PD	FF	FR	TD	VAL
2020	23	PIT	14	0*	39	23	16	5	6	2.0	13.0	1	1	0	—	0	8.1
2021	24	PIT	16	12*	65	37	28	15	15	6.0	36.0	0	0	1	—	0	11.2
2022	25	PIT	17	15*	60	35	25	12	20	14.5	46.5	0	1	5	—	0	13.9
2023	26	PIT	17	14*	51	28	23	8	18	7.0	33.0	2	3	2	—	1	13.6
2024	27	PIT	11	8*	40	23	17	9	13	6.0	28.0	0	2	1	—	0	7.6
2025	28	PIT	13	9*	50	36	14	15	19	9.5	43.5	0	3	1	—	0	11.3
Career			88	58*	305	182	123	64	91	—	—	3	10	10	—	1	65.7

* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)

Snap Counts

Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Off	Off%	Def	Def%	ST	ST%
2020	23	PIT	16	0*	—	0.0%	437	41.6%	270	59.3%
2021	24	PIT	16	12*	—	0.0%	851	76.5%	60	12.8%
2022	25	PIT	17	15*	—	0.0%	941	88.9%	48	12.6%
2023	26	PIT	17	14*	—	0.0%	910	80.5%	59	13.0%
2024	27	PIT	11	8*	—	0.0%	525	74.4%	37	12.4%
2025	28	PIT	13	9*	—	0.0%	634	72.8%	8	7.5%
Career			90	58*	—	—	4,298	—	482	—

* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)

Advanced Defense & Coverage (2018+)

Season	Age	Team	G	GS	Tgt	Cmp	Cmp%	RateAll	ADOT	Prss	Hrry	QBKD	Bltz	MissTkl	Miss%
2020	23	PIT	16	0*	9	5	0.6	35.2	5.8	12	6	4	36	2	0.0
2021	24	PIT	16	12*	11	8	0.7	79.4	0.3	26	12	7	63	6	0.1
2022	25	PIT	17	15*	8	5	0.6	66.7	-0.5	28	6	6	65	3	0.0
2023	26	PIT	17	14*	11	6	0.5	20.5	0.1	26	7	11	61	3	0.1
2024	27	PIT	11	8*	3	3	1.0	97.2	1.7	20	6	8	29	0	0.0
2025	28	PIT	13	9*	13	7	0.5	67.8	2.5	23	4	9	19	2	0.0
Career			90	58*	55	34	—	—	—	135	41	45	273	16	—

* GS not available from free sources — SG* estimated from snap share (nflverse 2012+)

KV-H Anatomy

KV-H 58 · Strong Starter

A strong starter career by KV-H: a remarkably steady profile that scores 58 of 100, era-normalized against tackles/g peers across 6 scored seasons.

Sustained

career value

×.6

Peak

best 3 seasons

×.4

×1

Longevity

career length

Blend 58.8 × longevity 1 = KV-H 58· confidence 100%

What builds the career mark of 58

On-field 40

Availability 18

On-field production Staying available

Season-by-season quality (era-relative tackles/g)

2020bestavg 572025

All-Time Standing

how this career measures against the all-time greats at the position

Depth

of 100

Reached 23% of the all-time Sacks leader — a rotational/depth all-time profile at the position.

23% of the all-time Sacks leader23

0 categories ≥25% of the all-time leader0

A 0–100 scale where 100 = matched the all-time leaderat this position. Built only from visible encyclopedia data — career production vs. the all-time leader, plus efficiency (EPA) and comparable-player confidence — so it's a transparent context score, not a subjective rating. Tiers: Elite ≥ 85 · Strong ≥ 65 · Solid ≥ 45 · Depth < 45. Comparable-player confidence: 89%.

Per-Snap Impact

Linebackers · proprietary · 2012+

Excellent

SIS

Disruption / 100 snaps:5.188See leaderboard →

Disruption/1005.188Snap share72.5%Def snaps4,298ReliableCV 0.25

Production per snap — the box score normalized by opportunity. SIS is z-scored within linebackers, shrinkage-regularized so small samples don't spike, over the NFL snap-count era (2012+).

Career Aging Trajectory

vs. position group average · KV-H basis

Amber = this player (normalized to own peak). Indigo = average linebackers aging curve. Group peak age: 25. Source: StatVault KV-H era (1999+).

Combine · 2020

Percentiles compare each raw measurement against position peers, the full combine pool, and the same draft class where enough samples exist.

LB · 2020 class

4.70s

40-Yard

Below avg · 43th pct

Pos 43thAll 44thClass Pos 34thClass All 43th

33"

Vertical

Below avg · 38th pct

Pos 38thAll 44thClass Pos 39thClass All 40th

125"

Broad Jump

Strong · 87th pct

Pos 87thAll 86thClass Pos 79thClass All 79th

7.32s

3-Cone

Low · 18th pct

Pos 18thAll 36thClass Pos 33thClass All 43th

4.31s

Shuttle

Below avg · 45th pct

Pos 45thAll 55thClass Pos 68thClass All 70th

Postseason Career

5 playoff games

Defense

Tkl10Solo5Ast5TFL3QBHits3Sk3.0Dis9.0PD1

College Stats

CharlotteImported college table

College Defense

Season	School	Tkl	Solo	Ast	TFL	QBHits	Sk	Dis	Int	PD	FF	FR	TD	Sfty
2016	Charlotte	—	—	—	—	—	1.0	1.0	—	—	0	—	—	—
2017	Charlotte	—	—	—	—	—	2.0	2.0	—	—	0	—	—	—
2018	Charlotte	—	—	—	—	—	3.0	3.0	—	—	2	—	—	—
2019	Charlotte	—	—	—	—	—	15.0	15.0	—	—	2	—	—	—
Career		0	0	—	—	—	21.0	21.0	0	0	4	0	—	—

Reference Graph

Career teammates and draft class, derived from year-by-year rosters — every name is linked.

2020 Draft Class· this player went #102

#94Josiah DeguaraTE #95McTelvin AgimDT #96Lucas NiangOT #97Jacob PhillipsLB #98Malik HarrisonLB #99Matt PeartOT #100Tanner MuseLB #101Dalton KeeneTE #103Davion TaylorLB #104Terrell BurgessSAF #105Adam TrautmanTE #106Tyre PhillipsG #107Akeem Davis-GaitherLB #108Saahdiq CharlesOT #109John SimpsonG #110Darnay HolmesCB

Franchise Succession

the room, before and after

Alex inherited the Pittsburgh Steelers LB room from Robert Spillane (2019–2022), and handed it to Nick Herbig (2023–2025).

Hardy Nickerson 1987–1992Levon Kirkland 1992–2000Jason Gildon 1994–2003Carlos Emmons 1996–1999Earl Holmes 1996–2001Joey Porter

Similar Players

Statistical + physical similarity across every player in the database, position-relevant (0–100%).

Movementderived from season history

2025final season
Last recorded season with PIT
2020draft
Drafted by PIT — Round 3, Pick 102

Athletic & Unique Profile

verified measurements and curated source-tagged facts

6'4" / 242 lb

Frame

248 lb at 4.70s

Size-speed

33" vert / 125" broad

Explosion

Injury History

6 career games missed (Out)

From nflverse weekly injury reports · coverage begins 2009.

Season	Team	Games Out	Designations
2024	PIT	5	W4Out· GroinW5Out· GroinW6Out· GroinW11Out· AnkleW12Out· AnkleW13Doubtful· Ankle
2023	PIT	0	W5Questionable· Groin
2021	PIT	1	W1Questionable· GroinW3Out· Groin

Knox

StatVault's proprietary player intelligence, informed by full career data. How Knox works →

Historical Knox · KV-H

Era-normalized career quality — z-scored against 6-season peers. See all →

peak 60

Season Report Cards· KV-H era-normalized per season

C+2020

B2021

B2022

C+2023

C+2024

C+2025

Availability

Career durability — games played vs. scheduled, across 6 seasons.

89%

Era Translator

Tackles translated to the 2025NFL — each season's standing among its own-era peers, projected onto 2025's scoring environment. Modern-era (1999+) coverage.

Season	Actual Tackles	Tackles/G	→ 2025 Tackles	→ 2025 /G
2020	39	2.8	44+5	2.6
2021	65	4.1	66+1	3.9
2022	60	3.5	57-3	3.4
2023	51	3	51	3
2024	40	3.6	62+22	3.7
2025	50	3.8	65+15	3.8

Data: nflverse:players, nflverse:player_stats_def, nflverse:snap_counts, nflverse:combine, nflverse:draft_picks, nflverse:injuries, wikipedia:college-stats (CC-BY-SA, facts-only) · multi-source verified via the StatVault Oracle · updated 6/18/2026

Career Value · VORP

62 career value over replacement — #1769 all-time of 4,642. 10.3/season above a replacement-level LB.

Career Profile

1 top-10 seasonstop-10 marks

Draft OutcomeSteal ↑

Pick #102 (Rd 3) · PIT · 2020 · +21.2 vs expected KV-H

58actual

36.8 expected · Δ+21.2

Fan Rating

Rate Alex Highsmith — All-Time

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Compare Alex Highsmith vs Player Report data error

Alex Highsmith

Archetype Intelligence

Career Value · VORP

Combined Season Grid

Defense

Snap Counts

Advanced Defense & Coverage (2018+)

KV-H Anatomy

All-Time Standing

Per-Snap Impact

Career Aging Trajectory

Combine · 2020

Postseason Career

Defense

College Stats

College Defense

Reference Graph

Top Teammates

2020 Draft Class· this player went #102

Franchise Succession

Similar Players

Movementderived from season history

Athletic & Unique Profile

Injury History

Knox

Era Translator

Career Geography