T.J. Watt was handed the Defensive Player of the Year award for his efforts in 2021, but here’s where the Steelers defender ranks among the top ‘disruptors.’
It’s hard to ask much more out of T.J. Watt than what we’ve witnessed from him over the past three seasons. After many fans thought he was snubbed of Defensive Player of the Year honors in both 2019 and 2020, Watt finally earned this award for his efforts in 2021.
Despite dealing with a hip, knee, and groin injury at times last year, Watt managed to tie Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record while leading the NFL in sacks, tackles for a loss, quarterback hits, and fumble recoveries.
Recently, Nick Shook of NFL.com ranked the top-10 ‘disruptors’ from the 2021 season. To do this, Shook factored in quarterback pressures, pressure rate, hurries, sacks, and turnovers caused by quarterback pressures.
By doing so, he determined that Watt was the second-best ‘disruptor’ during the 2021 season. Here’s what he had to say:
"Watt tied the all-time single-season sack record in 2021. He was voted Defensive Player of the Year. And he did it despite missing two full games and most of a third.Watt posted the highest single-season sack rate (6.1%) of the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). Also, he owns the highest sack rate (3.7%) over the duration of the NGS era (min. 1,500 pass-rush snaps). He’s more efficient at getting home than any rusher in the history of Next Gen Stats. However, he’s second on this list because a player from a division rival happened to post the fourth-highest QB pressure rate in a single season in NGS history and force five turnovers via pressure in 2021."
Despite his success last season and remarkable statistical production, Watt finished second on the disruptors list behind only Trey Hendrickson. The Bengals edge defender didn’t have nearly as many sacks (14.0 compared to 22.5), but he earned more pressures and hurries as well as caused more turnovers because of his pressures.
Interestingly, Browns’ edge defender, Myles Garrett, ranked just 6th on this list, and Aaron Donald ranked 8th. Former Steelers defensive lineman, Javon Hargrave, made the cut this past season — finishing as the 9th-best disruptor in 2021.
Steelers star isn’t done yet
Hendrickson is a very underrated football player, and while he may be number one on the list according to this formula, there’s no edge defender I’d rather have right now than T.J. Watt.
Recently, Watt made it a point to come out to the media and say that he’s not satisfied with his individual accolades and that a Super Bowl victory is the ultimate goal. Knowing how Watt carries himself and how badly he wants to win, I believe this to be the case.
Over the past three NFL seasons, no edge defender has come close to Watt’s production as he leads the league in sacks, tackles for a loss, forced fumbles, passes defended, and pressures during this span, via Pro Football Reference. At 27 years old, I don’t see the Steelers MVP slowing down anytime soon, as he’s very likely to continue on this Hall of Fame pace.
Watt clearly wasn’t healthy at times last year and it showed. He was forced to miss two full games due to injuries while leaving early in multiple contests. Had he remained healthy all season, his already record-setting season no doubt would have been even more impressive.
The Steelers have an absolute stud on their hands entering the prime of his NFL career. If he can stay on the field for all 17 games in 2022, he has a chance to enter a tier of his own as a pass rusher next season.