Current Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith and former linebacker LaMarr Woodley will announce the team’s fourth-round pick on Saturday in the 2023 NFL Draft, and will do so remotely from the team’s youth flag football in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The Steelers have the No. 123 pick in the fourth round, moving back into the fourth round after it looked like Highsmith and Woodley might not have any pick to announce. The Steelers traded their original fourth-round pick to move up in the first round to get tackle Broderick Jones. They got it back by moving down in the third round, before taking Georgia tight end Darnell Washington.
Highsmith and Woodley could be a announcing another edge rusher, as the Steelers are still looking for a backup to Highsmith and T.J. Watt. Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore, Army’s Andre Carter II and Missouri’s Isaiah McGuire are among the top outside linebacker candidates remaining ahead of the fourth round.
The Steelers are having a player announce their pick from Mexico for the second consecutive season. Running back Najee Harris did the same thing in 2021, before the Steelers selected wide receiver Calvin Austin III in the fourth round.
The Steelers have a dedicated presence for their large Mexican fanbase, with Spanish social media feeds and a Spanish radio broadcast. They have their preseason games distributed across Mexico and are expected to play a home game in Mexico City some time, soon, most likely in 2025.
While in Mexico, Highsmith and Woodley connected with Cristo Fernandez, the actor that plays Dani Rojas on the Apple+ series Ted Lasso.
Highsmith was the team’s third round pick out of Charlotte in the 2020 NFL Draft. Woodley was the club’s second round pick out of Michigan in 2007. Woodley amassed 58 career sacks over nine NFL seasons. Highsmith has 22.5 sacks in his first three seasons.
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