1. EDGE T.J. Watt
If you ever had to pause to think about who the number one spot should go to, you haven’t been watching T.J. Watt closely enough. On seemingly every defensive snap, my eyes are always glued to Watt, as he is so impressive with what he is able to do as a pass rusher.
Watt has made major strides in each of his first three seasons in the NFL, and there are zero reasons to think that he will show any regression. Despite turning just 26 years old last month, Watt was already a Defensive Player of the Year candidate last season and is sure to be on that list this year – possibly even win.
It’s now safe to say that T.J. Watt is following in the footsteps of his big brother, who will go down as one of the best players to ever play in the National Football League. T.J. Watt should earn several more All-Pro seasons throughout his career and is a safe bet to go down as a Hall-of-Famer as long as injuries don’t derail an extremely promising career. He will be a force on defense for years to come.
All in all, the Steelers have a handful of young players they could build around in the future, and several of them could turn into legitimate stars in this league. With Ben Roethlisberger earning his final days, it’s assuring to know that we will be in good hands when he’s gone.