Pro Football Focus has ranked Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt as the eleventh-best player in the entire NFL right now.
“Watt has been right on the verge of Defensive Player of the Year levels over the last two seasons and may well have won one by now if not for the perennially absurd play of Aaron Donald,” PFF’s Sam Monson wrote. “Over that same period, Watt has earned the highest overall PFF grade among all edge rushers (92.6) as well as the best pass-rushing grade (92.2). He leads all edge rushers with 12 batted passes and even has three interceptions to his name.”
Watt finished as the runner up for NFL Defensive Player of the Year a season ago, but does have three consecutive Pro Bowl nods and back-to-back First-Team All-Pro selections to his name.
He paced the league with both 15 sacks and 23 tackles-for-loss in 2020. He led the NFL with eight forced fumbles in 2019.
The only defensive players listed ahead of Watt are Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (1), Bears defensive end Khalil Mack and Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner. Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward was listed as the No. 31 overall player.