Former NFL DT Gerald McCoy is now an analyst with NFL Media, and on NFL Gameday Morning today, he said that Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt is inarguably the best defensive player in football.
McCoy thinks Watt’s career accolades and numbers this season (four sacks, two forced fumbles, one defensive touchdown, three tackles for a loss) plus his importance to the Steelers put him in a class above guys like Micah Parsons.
“Go look at the numbers when he’s on the field and when he’s off the field. He’s already tied the league lead in a season for sacks, he already has the leader in sacks in his organization, listen, T.J. Watt is the best defender in football,” McCoy said.
He also said it’s not a debate and Watt is the top guy.
“He’s not in there, he is it. Easy.”
There’s been a lot of discussion this week about who the best defender is following J.J. Watt’s tweet declaring T.J. the best defender in football.
It’s sparked debate from Trey Wingo and Chase Daniel, with the general consensus being that Parsons is the better player. But when Watt’s healthy, he’s a true game-wrecker and is incredibly important to the Steelers. His numbers speak for themselves, as he’s already racked up 81.5 career sacks in just 89 games and is now in his seventh season. The Steelers are 60-27-2 when Watt plays, and 1-10 without him. If that doesn’t show his importance to the team and defense, especially when compared to other defenders around the league, I’m not sure what does.
Kyle Brandt and Michael Irvin, who were on the segment with McCoy, went with Parsons. Even this season, Watt’s numbers surpass Parsons, who has seven tackles and three sacks this year. While he might make more highlight-reel-worthy plays, the raw numbers benefit Watt. Parsons has never had more than 13.5 sacks in a season, whereas Watt obviously tied the NFL record with 22.5 sacks in 2021. He also has three seasons above Parsons’ career high.
Just given how important Watt is to the Steelers defense and the difference he makes when he’s on the field, it’s hard to argue that there’s another more impactful or better defender in the league. Watt’s off to another torrid start this season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he had another season worthy of Defensive Player of the Year consideration.
