Dont’a Hightower: Steelers fans should be careful what they are asking for
Look, I’m not trying to “throw shade” at Dont’a Hightower. He’s a very good inside linebacker for what he does -an incredibly formidable run stopper. But many fans are excited about the prospect of bringing in Dont’a Hightower to start over Vince Williams, and I’m not understanding why.
I’m just not sure that he brings $8-10 million per year value – and that is his minimum price tag.
I’m digging into the numbers. Over five years, he’s defended twelve passes. And has zero interceptions. As a comparison, Lawrence Timmons, who most felt comfortable seeing walk at $6 million per year, has eight interceptions (including two last season) and 22 passes defensed.
Dont’a Hightower’s draft scouting report supports his coverage issues:
Strengths
Hightower is lengthy and imposing in the middle of a defense. He has long arms that he uses effectively to fight off blockers, dip and push to avoid trash at his feet, and keep balls close to him. He is not the most athletic player in space, but he uses his arms to tie up receivers within his zone and fight tight ends off the ball. He is technically sound, although his style of play looks effortless. There are not many wasted motions in his movements, and he takes good angles to the ball when working both sides of the field. Although Hightower doesn’t quite possess the speed to be a true sideline-to-sideline inside linebacker or the sole tackler in the middle of a 3-4 defense, he uses his instincts well and remains in position.
Weaknesses
Hightower has a big frame and can labor at times to move in extended spaces on the field. He excels within the box but likely won’t run down many scatbacks at the next level. He is good to defend the pass in zone but struggles to maintain coverage in man after trying to disrupt at the line. Hightower struggles to flip his hips in man looks, and there are times when he has to change direction unexpectedly. He isn’t heavy-footed, but he pursues the ball with a lot of momentum and can overshoot plays at times.
Okay – so I get it. It’s because he was asked to blitz so much more than Timmons was. He wasn’t asked to cover.
Let’s run with that…
Over the past five seasons, that should mean Hightower’s sack totals were superior. Yet. Looking at the stats – they’re not. He has seventeen sacks over the past five seasons. That’s an average of about three per season. Over that same stretch, Timmons has 20.5 (each had 2.5 last season).
Hightower did add have ten quarterback pressures in 2016 – three more than Timmons – placing him at about 100th in the NFL . That’s Hightower’s per season average – not bad, but not super. As an example, Timmons averages closer to six.
Add to these facts the fact Hightower has forced two fumbles over the past five seasons, contrasted with five for Timmons – the numbers just don’t add up in terms of Hightower’s defensive impact in the passing game. And in a pass happy league – for a team with issues covering backs and tight ends/slot receivers – that’s a big need he wouldn’t answer. And at a hefty price.
