The Pittsburgh Steelers struck gold when they drafted TJ Watt in the first round, 30th overall, of the 2017 NFL Draft. In his seven regular seasons with the team, Watt has dominated the league, amassing 96.5 sacks, 401 combined tackles, seven interceptions, 45 passes defensed, 27 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, and one touchdown. His exceptional on-field performance has earned him six Pro Bowl selections, four All-Pro honors, and the 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year Award.
During the 2023 season, Watt's dominance was more evident than ever as he led the league with 19 sacks. Despite his remarkable performance, Watt did not win the 2023 AP Defensive Player of the Year Award, a decision that many pundits and Steelers fans strongly disagreed with. Knowing he would be snubbed, Watt did not attend the NFL Honors ceremony. After it was announced that Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett had won the award, Watt posted a message on social media hinting at his displeasure.
The entire offseason has been filled with debates between Watt and Garrett. Both are incredible players, but it seems that no matter what Watt does, the league favors Garrett, despite Garrett not matching Watt's level of production. ESPN surveyed league executives, scouts, and coaches to determine the top 10 edge rushers heading into the 2024 season, and the results showed Garrett as the undisputed best edge rusher in the league.
"Garrett is now in Tier 1 by himself, earning 70% of the first-place votes," wrote Jeremy Fowler. "In fact, Garrett is excelling single or double teams more than 30% of the time, trailing only Micah Parsons in pass rush win rate. Garrett's status as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year earned him credibility among voters, but many of them don't consider 2023 any sort of breakthrough. He has 46 sacks over the past three seasons, and he might have hit 20 sacks in 2022 had it not been for a car accident that left him injured that September."
Over the last three seasons, Watt has amassed 47 sacks, despite being limited to just 10 games in the 2022 season. Jeremy Fowler noted that there was only one criticism of Garrett during the 2023 season.
"The only knock on Garrett was that he was quiet in a playoff game against the Houston Texans, with Laremy Tunsil holding him to three tackles and zero sacks. However, it's important to note that the entire Browns defense played poorly that day, giving up 45 points."
Garrett and the entire Browns defense was awful in that playoff game. However, it does not excuse the fact that Garrett was nonexistent in that game. In fact, in the last six games of the season, Garrett only recorded one sack.
Watt in the last six games of the season recorded 5.5 sacks. Despite this, Watt ranked second by a long shot in the survey. Fowler wrote about Watt's ranking via the survey.
"One voter called Watt the 'Aaron Donald of pass rushers,' the player who should top every list. Watt didn't quite match that feat, but he's back where he belongs -- in the conversation at the top. An injury-riddled 2022 campaign dropped him to fourth on last year's list. His game-wrecking ways were on full display in 2023, leading the NFL with 19 sacks and finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting."
Steelers' TJ Watt And Myles Garrett Are The Best Two Edge Rushers In The NFL
Being named the second-best edge rusher in the NFL is an incredible accomplishment, but it frustrates Steelers fans to see Watt not in the top spot despite his dominance. Garrett is undoubtedly great, and there's no question that he and Watt are the best edge rushers in the league. However, the gap between them is not as wide as some suggest, and many argue that Watt should be ranked number one.
During the 2023 season, some Garrett fans pointed out that Watt does not face the same number of double teams as Garrett. However, just turn on a Steelers game, and you'll see the attention Watt commands. To act like Garrett is the only edge rusher facing double teams is unrealistic.
Garrett disappeared down the stretch while Watt secured wins for the Steelers. This survey will likely fuel Watt's feeling of being disrespected by the league. In 2023, Garrett recorded 14 sacks, while Watt had 19. How many more sacks does Watt need over Garrett to prove he is the more dominant player?
