5 best building blocks on the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021

1. EDGE T.J. Watt

Though T.J. Watt is the oldest player on this list, he might have a decade left in the tank at the rate he is going, and 26 is hardly considered old. When it comes down to it, it’s just hard to make a case for any other Steelers player that you would choose to build your team around than Watt.

Watt is the single most valuable asset this team has, and it’s not hard to see why. After being snubbed of Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019, the star edge defender was the runner up for the award again in 2020. Over the past two seasons, Watt leads nearly all defensive players in some major statistical categories including tackles for a loss, pressures, and quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Reference.  He has also managed to earn a whopping 29.5 sacks and 10 forced fumbles since 2019.

There are just a handful of non-quarterbacks I would take over T.J. Watt in the NFL – regardless of position. This is one of the best young building blocks in the NFL, and I have a feeling that the best is still yet to come with T.J. Watt.

Fortunately, the Steelers do not have to decide between any of these players, and all five could potentially be around for the long haul. If they continue to find talent like this, Pittsburgh will have a chance to turn things around fast in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era.