Two years ago, Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt tied the single-season record for sacks and was the Defensive Player of the Year. This ranked him as the top edge rusher in the NFL according to ESPN.
2022 was a nightmare for Watt as he suffered a partially torn pectoral costing him seven full games and part of several more. Watt finished with only 5.5 sacks. This caused him to slide to No. 4 in this year’s iteration of the ESPN Edge rankings.
Here’s what ESPN said about the change for Watt and what they expect from him in 2023:
Watt set a historic pace with 70 sacks in his first five seasons. But a pectoral injury cost him seven games last year. His 5.5 sacks in 2022 marked a career-low, but he still crashed lanes with eight pass breakups. Watt could occupy any of the top-four spots and most wouldn’t complain.
“[Ranking pass-rushers] is all preference, but when healthy, Watt is hands down the best in the game,” an NFC exec said. “Watt is to edge rush what [Aaron] Donald is to interior.”
He was the top-ranked rusher last year. Now healthy, it wouldn’t shock if he regained the spot next year.
He excels in every area — he can deftly drop back into coverage or cause a fumble in the running game. Watt overwhelms offensive tackles with his refined pass-rush attack.
“You know he’s going to be fueled by last year and come out with a monster performance [in 2023],” the exec said.
Ranked ahead of Watt this time around are San Francisco 49ers Nick Bosa, Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett and Dallas Cowboys Micah Parsons. We understand Watt getting dinged because of last season but I’m sure Steelers fans just seeing Garrett ahead of Watt.
