Pittsburgh Steelers star safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and face of the franchise Cameron Heyward are considered two of the best — if not the best — players at their respective positions in the NFL.
Fitzpatrick, of course, was named the top safety this offseason by multiple outlets, including ESPN, while Heyward fluctuated throughout the top 10 this summer, generating some headlines and a response from the multi-time All-Pro defensive tackle.
They are great players, but where do they rank individually among the league regardless of position? Pro Football Focus’ Sam Monson attempted to answer that question Monday, releasing the first portion of his PFF50, ranking the 50 best players in the game today.
Fitzpatrick and Heyward landed outside the top 40, meaning they were between No. 41-50. Heyward came in at No. 47, while Fitzpatrick checked in at No. 43.
The pair were the lowest-ranked defensive lineman and safety in the top 50.
“Fitzpatrick’s six interceptions tied for the league lead among safeties last season, and he recorded four pass breakups and 17 defensive stops to go along with those turnovers. He earned one of the position’s highest coverage grades (83.3) and is one of the best ballhawks when playing deep in the middle of the field,” Monson writes highlighting Fitzpatrick at No. 43 overall.
His six picks in 2022 made him the first Steeler to accomplish that since Mel Blount back in 1975. Fitzpatrick’s picks were timely too, two coming late in the fourth quarter to close out wins over the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens, propelling the Steelers to a 7-2 stretch run that nearly saw them make the playoffs. In fact, Fitzpatrick was the only player in the NFL last season with two interceptions in the final two minutes of games.
Fitzpatrick can do it all. He’s not just a pure coverage safety; he’s very strong in run support, too. He led the Steelers with 124 tackles in 2021, a year in which it was a necessity for him to make plays due to a porous run defense. While being the team’s leading tackler isn’t something that should ever happen again, it goes to show Fitzpatrick’s multi-faceted abilities and versatility as he can drop back in coverage or come up and make plays in the box.
Knowing that, it’s odd to see Fitzpatrick — largely considered the best safety in the game — ranked so low in the PFF50. It’s unclear if there are safeties ahead of him in Monson’s rankings, but No. 43 for one of the best players in the game and the best at his position seems low.
As for Heyward, checking in at No. 47 feels right around where he should be at, though it remains to be seen which defensive linemen are ahead of him and where in the PFF50.
“Heyward has had the four best seasons of his NFL career since turning 30, last season notching 58 total pressures that included 12 sacks. He also recorded 43 defensive stops, the third time in four seasons that he topped 40,” Monson writes regarding Heyward’s ranking at No. 47.
Heyward played at an All-Pro level in 2022 and closed out his 12th season in strong fashion, recording 5.5 sacks in the final four games of the season, helping the Steelers go 3-1 down the stretch and remain in playoff contention right until the very end. Assuming good health not only for himself, but for key pieces around him in the Steelers’ defensive front, Heyward should have another great season in 2023 and add to his Hall of Fame resume.
Heyward is as dominant a defensive lineman as there is in the NFL. Even as he gets older and is on the back nine of his career, Heyward somehow continues to get better and better as both a pass rusher and a run defender. He remains one of the very best defensive linemen in the NFL and is an absolute menace on the interior.
It comes as no surprise that the two Steelers defensive standouts are in the PFF50, but it’s a bit surprising to see where Fitzpatrick and Heyward landed to open the series from Monson.
