1. Steelers DL Cameron Heyward
When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers, nobody has been better than Cameron Heyward through the first four games of the season. The former two-time First-Team All-Pro and veteran defensive leader has earned every penny so far this year.
Like Ingram, we don’t always see results from players like this in the stat sheet. Heyward has only been credited with one sack on the season so far. However, the powerful defensive lineman has recorded 3 tackles for a loss and 9 pressures early in the season.
Additionally, Heyward has graded out as the single-best interior defensive lineman through the first four weeks of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. His 91.9 overall grade ranks him 1st out of 119 qualifying interior defenders — topping even the great Aaron Donald (91.3).
Despite being one of the oldest players currently on the team, Heyward is going as strong as ever and has a chance to earn his third First-Team All-Pro season in 2021 with a bit more production around the quarterback moving forward.
Not all hope is lost for the season, as these five players give us something to get excited about. Let’s hope this group and other surrounding talented players can help turn things around in the second quarter of the 2021 NFL season.