4 reasons the Steelers already have the best defense in the NFL
By Tommy Jaggi
Generational defensive talent in T.J Watt
The Steelers were extremely fortunate to have T.J. Watt fall into their lap with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Despite his elite athletic traits and strong family bloodlines, some edge-needy teams let him slip through their fingers.
Players like Watt just don’t come around very often. Through his first four seasons in the NFL, Watt has earned 3 Pro Bowls, 2 First-Team All-Pro honors, and has been a Defensive Player of the Year finalist twice. That’s quite an impressive resume. His impact on the Steelers defense is arguably greater than any player since Troy Polamalu in the early 2000s.
At 26 years old, there’s reason to believe that T.J. Watt will continue to get better. Not only has he been the most productive edge defender in the NFL in terms of his combination of sacks, tackles for a loss, and quarterback hits since 2019, he’s also graded out as the best edge defender during that span, according to Pro Football Focus.
Watt is an extremely rare breed of football player who can win in numerous ways. You simply cannot take his impact out of the game. Finally entering his NFL prime, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be in contention for the best defensive player in the NFL yet again in 2021. He could very well help this defense be the best unit in the league.