Steelers Cameron Heyward near the top of interior defender rankings

The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the best interior defenders in the game in Cameron Heyward. Here’s where here’s why he’s near the top of PFF’s rankings.

Over the second half of his NFL career, it has become commonplace to see Cameron Heyward earning individual accolades. After being a former first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, it took Heyward a few years to really get going, but once he broke out, he’s been one of the best interior defenders in the league.

Pro Football Focus would agree. Recently, Ben Linsey of PFF ranked the 25 best interior defenders in the NFL according to tiers. Linsey had Aaron Donald in a tier of his own, but Heyward was his second-best IDL in a tier labeled “Elite.” Here’s what Linsey had to say about the Pittsburgh Steelers star:

"2. CAMERON HEYWARD, PITTSBURGH STEELERSHeyward is set to enter his 12th NFL season at 33 years old, but he has only gotten better with age. The three highest-graded seasons of his career all came in the past three years. Heyward does a great job of winning with strength both against the run and the pass, employing one of the league’s better bull rushes. He should once again anchor the strength of Pittsburgh’s roster — a top-tier defensive front."

Linsey praised Heyward for his brute strength against both the run and the pass… and rightfully so. Just behind Heyward and still in the elite tier were Chris Jones, DeForest Buckner, and Grady Jarrett.

Remarkably, Stephon Tuitt was ranked 13th on this list despite sitting out the entire 2021 season while grieving the loss of his younger brother. To the dismay of Steelers Nation, Tuitt recently announced his retirement from the NFL.

Steelers Heyward deserves recognition

It’s hard to argue against Cam Heyward being ranked where he was — second among all interior defenders in the NFL. At the age of 33 and entering his 12th NFL season, this is some pretty high praise.

I agree with Linsey in that Aaron Donald should be in a tier of his own. He was utterly dominant again in 2021 and will go down as one of the best defensive players in NFL history when it’s all said and done. However, should Heyward be in a tier above the rest?

For three straight years, Heyward has graded out as a top-6 interior defender — twice falling just short of Aaron Donald’s overall grade, according to Pro Football Focus. Interestingly, however, Heyward has earned grades significantly higher than some of the other players right behind him on this list.

Last year, Heyward pulled in a 90.8 overall grade, while Chris Jones had an 83.4 grade and Buckner and Jarrett had grades below 72.0. This is just one factor, obviously, but I do feel that Heyward has been playing at a higher level than everyone not named Aaron Donald.

Either way, it’s nice to see Heyward get the recognition he deserves these past few years. Heyward is the ultimate leader of the Steelers in 2022 and we can’t wait to see what he will accomplish this year.