With the regular season in the books, the Associated Press will be releasing its annual All-Pro teams next week following Wild Card weekend. Before getting too deep into the Pittsburgh Steelers – Baltimore Ravens grudge match, it seemed like the appropriate time to make my own All-Pro teams based on the numbers and tape that have been presented to us over the last four months or so.
Before getting into the cases for each of these players on this list, consider this a plea to the NFL and the AP to add a third team to the All-Pro lists on annual basis. Football rosters are triple the size of the NBA teams that conduct their business this way. If nothing else, it would allow the media and football community to recognize and appreciate even more deserving players without diminishing the honor of the prize. Without further ado, here we go.
IDL Cam Heyward (First Team)
The interior defensive line position as a whole continues to be one of the most slept on groups in football. In 2024, we saw Zach Allen’s breakout boost Denver’s defense to the top, Leonard Williams enjoy a career year in Seattle, while Chris Jones continues to dominate for the reigning world champion Kansas City Chiefs. For as impressive as all of those seasons were, I’m not convinced that any of those guys were better than Cam Heyward this year. Somehow, at 35-years old, the team captain turned in a truly dominate rebound performance after being slowed down to injuries the year prior.
The numbers are pretty ridiculous. Heyward ranks inside the top five among defensive lineman in both pressures on the quarterback (56) and sacks (10) according to PFF. His impact reaches far beyond his pass rushing ability, too. He registered a position high 35 run stops and the Steelers defense held opponents to 1.4 less yards per carry when he was on the field. Even though Pittsburgh’s defense never quite hid the ceiling that many envisioned for them this season, it’s hard to put any of that blame on Heyward’s shoulders. This was a special season, one in which should result in a first-team All-Pro nod, where we saw a franchise legend turn back the clock.
OC Zach Frazier (Second Team)
Over the last couple of seasons, Creed Humphrey has been the best center in all of football and that has not changed. That’s a name that Steelers fans have found tough to forget after the franchise passed on him twice during the 2021 NFL Draft. However, Pittsburgh’s finally found their man at the pivot in Zach Frazier. It’s pretty rare for first-year ballers to be in All-Pro conversations but this isn’t your typical rookie season either. You can go back and read the scouting report on the West Virginia product, turn on the tape and obviously see that all of his strengths have translated instantly.
Frazier is a solid athlete but where he really excels is his ability to win the leverage battle against his opponent while having the necessary play strength to move defenders off their spot. Despite having a veteran signal caller under center, he’s already making all of the protection calls up front for the offensive line which indicates how much they trust him already. His most noticeable blemishes have been sorting out and picking up stunts against more athletic fronts that what he was used to from his college days. The Steelers offensive line has been a mess for more than a few reasons but even without a great ecosystem around him, he’s shined on a consistent basis.
EDGE T.J. Watt (Third Team)
We didn’t get the special, record-breaking type of season from a pass rusher this year and that’s why the Defensive Player of the Year hype has seemed underwhelming. Nevertheless, the league is chock full of talented edge rushers on the outside. With divisional foes Myles Garrett and Trey Hendrickson tying for the league lead in pressures, they feel like near consensus first-team nods this go around. So where does that leave T.J. Watt? Because of his Hall of Fame caliber career to date, his season has been heavily scrutinized and written about from every angle from what seems like anyone who gets paid to analyze the NFL. It’s certainly one of the more unique years that I can remember.
The Steelers superstar led the league in forced fumbles, was a menace against the run, both of the front and backside of plays, and had some signature pass rush moments like his strip sack to cement victory against the Giants in week 8. On the same token, his 9.2% pressure rate was the lowest of his career and his 11.5 sacks were the his fewest in a full season since 2017, his rookie campaign. Opposing teams still respect his ability to wreck shop at any given moment and that’s reflected in how often he’s seeing chips via tight ends or tailbacks, particularly on obvious passing downs. The splash plays were still present but the down to down impact wasn’t exactly in line with the incredibly high bar that he’s set since coming to the steel city.
K Chris Boswell (First Team)
When making an All-Pro ballot, it requires you to make some difficult choices to pick between great players having outstanding seasons. The one exception to that rule, in 2024 at least, is at kicker. Chris Boswell’s inclusion as a first-team All-Pro is simply a no-brainer. His 41 kicks through the upright were the second-most in NFL history. The only two kicks he missed all season, including extra points, were from 58 and 62 yards respectively. While touchdowns are certainly the preferred method of lighting up the scoreboard, it’s quite the luxury to have an ultra dependable leg to depend on when you need it.