With the 2024 regular season in the books, media outlets are busy stringing together their lists of the top players from the year. One popular topic is putting together an All-Pro team for the 2024 season. We recently learned about four Steelers making the Pro Bowl, but the praise doesn't end here.
On January 7, Gordon McGuinness put together Pro Football Focus' 2024 All-Pro Team. Two Steelers made the cut: T.J. Watt and Cameron Heyward.
At 35 years old, Heyward defied Father Time during the 2024 season en route to one of the best years of his NFL career. Thanks to his dominant run defense ability and impressive statistics for an interior defender (71 tackles, 8.0 sacks, 12 tackles for a loss, 11 pass deflections, and 20 quarterback hits), this selection was easy.
Watt's performance, on the other hand, drew controversy from many analytically-minded skeptics around the league. ESPN recently snubbed Watt from its All-Pro Team due to having a low pressure rate.
Despite playing all 17 games in 2024, Watt recorded just 11.5 sacks while not finishing anywhere near the top of the league this season in pressures or pass-rush win rate. Regardless, PFF showed you can't measure Watt's impact by a formula.
Watt was the first edge defender listed on PFF's All-Pro Team — topping Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, and Trey Hendrickson, who each have notably more pressures. The reasoning is simple: despite Watt's lack of production, he proved to be a force as a run defender and pass rusher. The Steelers star earned a career-high 92.2 overall grade from PFF while finishing with pass rush and run defense grades over 90.0.
Steelers DL duo is still one of the best in the NFL
Despite both Heyward and Watt being in their 30s, it was easy to see that this defensive line duo is still one of the top interior DL and edge rusher pairings in the NFL. These two players once again proved to be the best players on the Pittsburgh Steelers' roster in 2024.
Meanwhile, Watt's 92.2 overall grade was 3rd among all NFL edge rushers, as Cam Heyward's 90.3 grade finished 1st among interior defenders this year. Watt didn't have the best season of his legendary career in 2024, but he did draw unprecedented attention and was at the mercy of defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, who refuses to get creative with blitzes or generate pressure on the quarterback.
We know this lethal defensive duo isn't going to last forever, but fans should enjoy the two best Steelers defenders of this generation while they are still here and playing at a high level.
PFF was kind to Watt and Heyward. Now we'll have to wait and see if the Associated Press —who votes on the All-Pro honors that are added to NFL resumes — feels the same way.