Cowboys' Pass Rush is a Disaster: Why Dallas Must Pounce on Alex Highsmith
AI-generated image · US National Wire
With a putrid start to the season and a glaring void at edge rusher, the Cowboys' front office cannot afford to ignore a potential trade with Pittsburgh.
OPINION: The Dallas Cowboys are playing a dangerous game of chicken with their defensive front, and if they don't act soon, the consequences will be catastrophic. Through the first three weeks of the season, the Cowboys' pass-rush has been nothing short of an utter disaster, as Sports Illustrated first reported.
The numbers are staggering. While Dallas has managed to record 43 pressures, they have failed to convert that effort into results, recording only two sacks. To make matters worse, the only edge rusher to register a sack is Donovan Ezeiruaku, who has 0.5. It is a putrid situation that demands an immediate injection of talent.
Enter Alex Highsmith. As reported by Sports Illustrated, Jonathan Jones of The Athletic has identified the Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher as one of six players he is monitoring based on conversations with NFL executives. Highsmith is a proven commodity who has already recorded three sacks this season—a figure that exceeds the total sack count for the entire Cowboys roster.
Highsmith's pedigree is undeniable. He recorded 9.5 sacks last season, a total that is particularly noteworthy because he missed four games due to injury. If Dallas can secure him, Highsmith would instantly become the best edge rusher on the Cowboys' roster.
Why would Pittsburgh consider moving him? Sports Illustrated points out that Highsmith's current contract is set to expire after the 2027 season. While the Steelers could wait, trading him now allows General Manager Omar Khan to extract more value since Highsmith can contribute to a new team for more than one season. Furthermore, with the significant financial commitments Pittsburgh has made to T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig—who received an extension this offseason—a long-term deal for Highsmith seems unlikely.
Dallas and Pittsburgh have already established a productive trading relationship, having completed three major deals involving Joey Porter Jr., Broderick Jones, and George Pickens. The chemistry between the two front offices is there; the only question is whether Jerry Jones has the nerve to pull the trigger.
Critics will point to Dallas' depleted draft capital. Sports Illustrated reports that the Cowboys are extremely low on future picks, possessing only four in 2027, none of which are third-rounders. However, Dallas does hold Pittsburgh's fourth-round pick, which could be packaged to facilitate a deal. Additionally, the 2028 draft stable remains relatively intact, featuring picks in every round except the second and seventh.
While compensation for a player of Highsmith's caliber could reach at least a third-round pick—referencing the trade where Jonathan Greenard returned two picks for the Minnesota Vikings in a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles—the cost is irrelevant compared to the cost of failure. Jerry Jones has stated he is open to improving the defense even after the Porter trade.
Waiting for the trade deadline is a gamble Dallas cannot afford. Failing to pursue a game-changer like Highsmith isn't just a personnel oversight; it is a dereliction of duty by a front office that is currently watching its defense spin its wheels.