The San Francisco 49ers find themselves in a precarious spot heading into Day 1 of the 2026 NFL draft. That spot may force them to explore the trade market in order to address their pass rushing need, and the Pittsburgh Steelers may be the team to call.
According to Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson, the Steelers have a pair of pass rushers whose names are making the rounds as potential trade targets leading up to the NFL draft (h/t Steelers Depot).
Highsmith’s name, along with fellow edge Nick Herbig are definitely floating around front offices as the draft approaches, although it seems that any trade would be a one-but-not-both scenario, with Highsmith being the likelier candidate to get moved. Highsmith turns 29 in August and still has two years remaining for a total scheduled base salary of $30 million ($14.5 in 2026 and $15.5 in 2027). With a strong year in 2026, it’s expected he’ll try to get back to the negotiating table for an extension that resets his salary and gets him another two years of guaranteed money. But 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.”
We've written before about Herbig as a possible 49ers trade target, but Robinson also reported Highsmith is viewed as the more available player. That's in part because he'll be 29 when the 2026 season starts. It's also in part because of his contract status. The acquiring team will likely need to extend him at a deal above his current $17 million average annual value. That contract expires after the 2027 season.
Despite the need to pay Highsmith, the 49ers should be on the phone with Pittsburgh about acquiring their No. 2 pass rusher. Highsmith has 40 sacks over the last four years and is consistently effective getting after the quarterback with a pressure rate that regularly hovers between 13 and 16 percent.
His raise isn't liable to land atop the market which should make it more palatable for the 49ers while also giving them a proven NFL pass rusher to line up across from Nick Bosa. Highsmith would also allow the 49ers pass rush to maintain some semblance of effectiveness if Bosa is unavailable, which is notable with Bosa coming off an ACL tear.
It's unclear what it would cost for San Francisco to acquire the soon-to-be 29-year-old. The 49ers have four fourth-round picks to play with in this year's draft. They could include one of those and a Day 2 pick in 2027 to try and get it done. Depending on how they feel about this year's class they might be willing to go as high as a second-round choice if they're able to recoup some draft capital in another deal.
Adding Highsmith would make a lot of sense for San Francisco, and they should be among the teams on the phone with the Steelers trying to work out a trade.
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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: NFL trade rumors: Steelers may deal Alex Highsmith, 49ers should call