Former Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert had put together one of the best résumés of all time by the time he decided to step away from football. The team wouldn’t have its last two Super Bowl rings without his expert roster-building abilities. One of Colbert’s main strengths was the NFL draft, where he managed to find gem after gem for the Steelers. While his last few drafts left a little bit to be desired, he did strike gold in 2017 with OLB T.J. Watt.
Watt is one of the league’s best defensive players now, but before he became a Steeler, everyone mostly knew him as J.J. Watt’s little brother. Watt was seen as a little bit of a project coming out of Wisconsin, not having a ton of production and actually starting out as a tight end rather than a pass rusher, but he offered a supreme upside due to his eye-catching athleticism. With the 30th pick in the draft, the Steelers decided to bet on that upside, and saying it was a good pick would be an understatement.
Recently, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin highlighted the top 15 players taken in the first round who have outperformed their draft position within the past 10 years. Watt ended up landing at No. 5 on this list, which honestly might still be too low. In seven seasons, Watt has 96.5 sacks, 27 forced fumbles, seven interceptions, four first-team All-Pro selections, one second-team All-Pro selection, and has made six Pro Bowls. If that isn’t enough, he is also tied for the NFL single-season sack record with 22.5.
Drafting a player like that with the first overall pick would be an unbelievable success but with the 30th pick? That’s the kind of stuff both teams and fans can only dream about most of the time. Looking at the four players listed above Watt as well, his placement really shouldn’t be taken as any kind of slight.
Justin Jefferson is ranked fourth, being taken by the Vikings with the 22nd pick in 2020. Lamar Jackson, taken by the Ravens with the 32nd pick in 2018, is ranked third. At No. 2 is Aaron Donald, taken 13th overall by the Rams in 2014. Number one is Patrick Mahomes, taken by the Chiefs with the 10th pick in 2017.
The case could be made that Watt should be ranked above Jefferson, but considering Jackson is a two-time MVP, and Donald and Mahomes may be the best defensive and offensive player of all time respectively, that certainly isn’t bad company to be in. Considering how it feels like the media has been snubbing Watt for years, especially with the Defensive Player of the Year award, it’s good to remind people just what caliber of player he is. Putting his name alongside players like Donald and Mahomes shouldn’t be shocking or egregious for anyone.
