The Dallas Cowboys are the one team most expected to move up early in the 2026 NFL Draft as they hold two picks in the Top 20. But today, we’re discussing a different kind of trade.

One for a proven edge rusher for Christian Parker’s new-look defense with the Cowboys: Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith.

In a recent article for Yahoo! Sports, insider Charles Robinson revealed Highsmith’s name has emerged as a trade candidate ahead of the draft. And the Cowboys are uniquely positioned to make the Steelers the offer.

Highsmith on the move “Highsmith’s name, along with fellow edge Nick Herbig are definitely floating around front offices as the draft approaches,” Robinson writes.

Though teammate Nick Herbig is also an option, Highsmith is 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),” Robinson writes. “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.”

The Cowboys would likely be glad to lower Highsmith’s cap hit in exchange for additional guaranteed money right from the get-go. They took a similar approach with Rashan Gary earlier in the year. And landing a 28-year-old productive edge rusher would be a big win for the front office.

Despite missing four games last season, Highsmith finished the season with 9.5 sacks and 44 quarterback pressures. Pro Football Focus graded him as a Top 15 edge rusher in the NFL.

The Cowboys’ master-class offer for Highsmith Highsmith isn’t expected to be a cheap get for multiple reasons. First, at 28 years old, his high-caliber play isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Secondly, he’s already under contract for the next two seasons. Lastly, if the Steelers indeed shop him around, the Cowboys won’t be the only ones picking up the phone.

So the compensation is calibrated for value similar to a second-round pick for Pittsburgh. Here’s how Dallas gets there:

• Steelers get: pick No. 12 overall (first round), pick No. 92 overall (third round)
• Cowboys get: OLB Alex Highsmith, pick No. 21 overall (first round), pick No. 161 overall (fifth round)

Per the Rich Hill trade chart, the above compensation is the equivalent to a middle-round second-round pick.

The Cowboys would pick back-to-back at No. 20 and 21 while landing a significant upgrade at edge rusher that screams scheme fit for Parker. Losing No. 92 hurts, but Dallas won’t find a starter that deep in the third round.

Steelers’ perspective You know it’s NFL Draft week when the pre-draft rumors of trades start flying, and one of the best pass rushers in recent Steelers memory is at the forefront.

At the surface level, you see an EDGE rotation that looks crowded with the likes of T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig and Jack Sawyer. That’s true to a certain extent, but the Steelers rotate their pass rushers a ton. Maybe that changes under Pat Graham.

But from Highsmith’s perspective, he was the most productive pass rusher on the team in 2025. He’s firmly entrenched in his prime, and unlike Herbig, he’s an every-down player as someone who is stout against the run.

For the Steelers to truly consider trading Highsmith, it’s gotta be a serious offer. One like this one from the Cowboys. Khan and Co. would think long and hard about that level of capital, and it may be too good of an offer to refuse. – Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports Pittsburgh

Jerry Jones just executed the rarest kind of draft-week heist: he surrendered first-round capital without surrendering his two Top-20 picks, absorbed a controllable two-year contract on a 28-year-old Top-15 edge rusher, and still walked away with the kind of immediate defensive upgrade most teams can only dream about. In a league where premium pass rush is currency, the Cowboys didn’t just make a trade—they staged an ambush.