On Sunday night, NFL Network will reveal the Top 20 players in their annual NFL100 ranking of the best 100 players in the league. Thanks to a tweet from the NFL, we now know who those 20 players are, and that one of them is Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
It comes as no shock that Watt is one of the top 20 players in the league, especially coming off a year where he tied the NFL single-season sack record. The only question is how high Watt will end up. I would guess that his floor is the No. 6 spot, and he could probably be placed as high as No. 3 or No. 4. He’s likely going to end up as the second-highest defender on the list, behind Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald. He could also end up behind a group of quarterbacks that includes Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
Watt could finish ahead of some of the quarterbacks on that list, and I would probably put him ahead of Mahomes. I’m not sure if he’d end up passing Brady, coming off one of his best statistical seasons yet, or the reigning MVP in Rodgers. There’s a case to be made to put him ahead of Allen, but I don’t necessarily see that happening. Realistically, fifth or sixth is the most likely spot for Watt to end up.
If that’s the case, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. Any lower than sixth and I would have some questions about who’s ahead of him. Cooper Kupp is a fantastic wide receiver coming off an incredible year, but Watt has shown more throughout the course of his career to justify a higher ranking. I also understand it’s difficult to weight players across position groups, but I have to think it goes quarterbacks and then pass rushers in terms of measuring guys towards the top. I’m not sure I would value a wide receiver higher than a truly elite pass rusher in Watt.
If the offensive line is valued, I could see Trent Williams finishing in the top five, but I think he’s probably going to finish somewhere in the 7-10 range. Obviously, the biggest gripe would be placing Myles Garrett ahead of Watt, which I just can’t see happening. If it does, there are going to be a lot of irate fans in Pittsburgh.
In the end, lists like this are pretty much meaningless. They’re subjective and they don’t really prove anything. No matter where Watt ends up, expect him to show on the field that’s he an elite talent and one of the top players in the NFL.
