When you think of the top interior pass rushers in the NFL you think off Aaron Donald, Cameron Heyward, and Quinnen Williams, but after Week Five it might be time to throw Pittsburgh Steelers’ DT Armon Watts on that list. According to PFF, Watts had a 40% pass rush win rate from in last Sunday’s 17-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens which was best for interior linemen across the NFL.
Watts was signed by the Steelers in free agency this offseason from the Chicago Bears, and with the injury to Heyward in Week One he has been called on to play a bit more. Watts still hasn’t seen a ton of snaps, 92 in total which is good for only 31 percent of the total defensive snaps throughout the year, but he has been effective when he plays.
According to PFF, Watts has an overall grade of 68.2 this season, and in the Steelers’ victory against the Ravens last Sunday he recorded a pass rush grade of 78.4 as he hurried QB Lamar Jackson three times and even had a quarterback hit on 11 pass rushes.
With Heyward out, the Steelers need as much help in the interior as possible, and while rookie DT Keeanu Benton is playing very well to start his career, having unexpected help is always nice. Watts certainly picked the best time to have his strongest game as a Steeler, as Pittsburgh’s win against the Ravens propelled them to the top of the AFC North.
With Heyward expected to come back sometime after the bye week, Watts could see the number of snaps he plays decrease. But, if he continues to consistently win rushing the quarterback until Heyward comes back the Steelers’ coaching staff may have to find ways to keep him on the field.
A former sixth-round pick in 2019 for the Minnesota Vikings, Watts has done a great job of sticking around in the NFL all these years, and his performance in Week Five shows why. The Ravens are a very good team, and without Watts’ constant pressure, they might be 4-1 right now with a stranglehold on the AFC North. But they don’t. Watts had an impressive game and the defense did just enough to secure the victory.
If that isn’t the story of the Pittsburgh Steelers over the past five years, I don’t know what is.
