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Pittsburgh Steelers: Three bold predictions for the 2017 season

By Noah Strackbein

Jan 15, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell (26) runs against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters (22) during the first half in the AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Steelers won 18-16. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 15, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell (26) runs against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters (22) during the first half in the AFC Divisional playoff game at Arrowhead Stadium. The Steelers won 18-16. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports /
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T.J. Watt will lead the team in sacks.

With Ryan Shazier, James Harrison and Bud Dupree in Pittsburgh’s linebacking core, having a rookie lead the team is sacks is a stretch. But with the potential he has and the skills, he already contains, T.J. Watt could easily lead this team in sacks during his rookie campaign.

In his sophomore year at Wisconsin, Watt finished with an incredible 11.5 sacks. As the biggest name on the defense, he was still able to get his way with offenses. Now, with three other linebackers to focus on, offenses won’t be too concerned about stopping Watt.

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Despite some people saying Watt needs time to develop before he’s fully ready to contribute, I say he’s ready now. Pittsburgh is finally putting together a dominant defense and Watt should be the face of the future.

This season, he’s a 10-plus sack guy. Harrison and Dupree will also have high numbers, and Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt are going to be two of the best defensive linemen in the league. Watt’s going to lead the numbers game, though.

Watt’s going to shock a lot of people in his first year. This isn’t someone who needs a lot of time before being considered one of the best. Much like his brother, T.J. is going to be one of the best players in the NFL right from day one.

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