The Pittsburgh Steelers could have a remarkable defense again in 2021. Here are four reasons why they already have the best defense in the NFL.
It wasn’t the most memorable offseason by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021. After the salary cap plummeted due to the pandemic, Pittsburgh lost a handful of quality starters this offseason and didn’t do much in the way of replacing them. During the NFL Draft, the Steelers prioritized offense as they made it a point of improving the run game this year.
Despite all of this, the Steelers defense has the makings to be the best in the NFL in 2021. While the team lost some quality players in Bud Dupree, Steven Nelson, and Mike Hilton this offseason, Devin Bush is returning from injury and other young players are on the rise. Here are four reasons why Pittsburgh already has the best defense in the NFL:
Steelers have a fantastic defensive line
You can argue that some positions on the Steelers have gotten worse since the end of the 2020 season. The defensive line is not one of them. Though Cameron Heyward and Tyson Alualu are getting up there in age, this unit could very well prove to be the best group in the league in 2021.
Last year, the Steelers finally got a healthy Stephon Tuitt. The talented defensive lineman offered up 11.0 sacks, 10 tackles for a loss, and 25 quarterback hits in 15 games. Despite entering his 8th NFL season, Tuitt turned just 28 years old in May and still has his best football ahead of him.
In addition to not losing a single defensive lineman from last year’s roster, the Steelers also added a big, powerful defender in Wisconsin’s Isaiahh Loudermilk, while young players like Carlos Davis and Isaiah Buggs should be improved with another year. With a defensive front that includes players like Cameron Heyward, Stephon Tuitt, Tyson Alualu, and Chris Wormley, this unit could have a big hand in helping the Steelers to the best defense in 2021.
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.
Minkah Fitzpatrick could be the most valuable player in the secondary
In terms of overall dominance and impact to the team, Minkah Fitzpatrick may not quite be on the same level as T.J. Watt, but he’s not that far behind either. In just his 3rd NFL season in 2020, Fitzpatrick became one of the youngest defensive players to ever be selected to 2 First-Team All-Pros, and he has the most takeaway-worthy plays of any defensive back in the NFL over the past two seasons.
Like Watt, Minkah’s name was also in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 and 2020 (although not as legitimate of a contender to come away with the reward). Still, Fitzpatrick has the potential to be the most valuable defensive back in the entire NFL, thanks to his natural instincts and nose for the football.
When targeting Fitzpatrick, things typically don’t turn out well for opposing quarterbacks. As a member of the Steelers in 2019 (14 games), opposing quarterbacks had a dismal 46.3 passer rating when throwing his direction, according to Pro Football Reference. That number improved to just 65.7 last season.
With the ability to play single-high and make plays all over the field, Fitzpatrick could be the most lethal player in the secondary in the NFL this year – helping the Steelers to the best defensive in the NFL.
An expected leap by young Steelers defenders
It’s never easy to overcome when your team loses three quality defensive starters in the same season. Bud Dupree made a big impact off the edge for the Steelers in 2020 with his speed to pursue the quarterback and ability to stop the run. Likewise, Steven Nelson and Mike Hilton were both essential to the success of the secondary last season. However, these losses could be overcome by the development of some young, talented Steelers defenders.
The biggest of which is Devin Bush. Bush showed a tremendous amount of promise before landing in Injured Reserve with a torn ACL last season. Fortunately, the injury happened early enough in the year, that he is set to go full speed for training camp. Bush is a phenomenal athlete with great play-making ability at the linebacker position. He could give this defense a huge spark in 2021.
At the same time, the Steelers have a number of other young players who are only starting to scratch the surface. Safties Terrell Edmunds and Minkah Fitzpatrick were on the rise last season, and there’s no reason to think they won’t continue to improve. Likewise, young players like Alex Highsmith, Justin Layne, and James Pierre could prove to take a big step up for the Steelers in 2021 – perhaps even make fans forget about their losses this offseason.
The Steelers aren’t guaranteed to have a great defense in 2021, but all signs are pointing to them having an excellent group yet again this year. It’s not hard to believe that they may already have the best defense entering the new season.