The old saying in professional football is that defense wins championships, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are certainly hoping that’s the case in 2024 as the defense will once again lead the way for the Black and Gold.
Pittsburgh has invested the highest amount of salary cap space in the league on defense entering the 2024 season, doubling what it has spent on the offense. The offense is young and in a period of transition with two new quarterbacks and a new offensive coordinator, while the defense is star-studded and loaded with guys who are familiar playing with each other.
On that defense, the Steelers have three players in the top 100 in the NFL, at least according to Pro Football Network’s rankings.
PFN released its top 100 on Monday morning. Appearing in the rankings are defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
Heyward, entering Year 14 in the NFL, landed at No. 98 overall in the rankings, while Fitzpatrick ranked No. 57 and Watt was in the top 10 at No. 8.
Coming off an injury-marred season that saw him struggle to play at the level many have become accustomed to, it’s a bit of a surprise that Heyward lands inside the top 100 this summer.
“Cameron Heyward finally showed signs of aging in 2023, as he missed six games and posted just two sacks, his fewest since 2012,” PFN’s Dallas Robinson writes regarding Heyward’s ranking. “However, when healthy, the 35-year-old is still an effective pass rusher and stout against the run. Heyward totaled 20.5 sacks from 2021 to 2022 and has earned four All-Pro nods since 2017.”
Heyward suffered a groin injury in training camp that slowed him, and then he completely tore it in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, causing him to undergo surgery and land on the Reserve/Injured list. He missed six games before returning in Week 9 on Thursday Night Football against the Tennessee Titans.
Though he was an obvious piece that plugged in and helped the run defense, Heyward simply wasn’t himself throughout much of the season, one he called very trying. He found his groove late in the season and looked like his old self in the Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills, but Heyward really battled with Father Time in 2023.
Wanting a contract extension to play for three more years, and still believing he’s a top five player at his position, Heyward is healthy entering the 2024 season, which is bad news for opposing offensive linemen. He’s coming in with a chip on his shoulder and has a point to prove again.
Heyward found himself ranked ahead of Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman DeForest Buckner at No. 100, but behind New England’s Christian Barmore at No. 92. Kansas City’s Chris Jones was the highest ranked defensive lineman from PFN, landing at No. 16.
Much like Heyward, Fitzpatrick is coming off of an injury-filled season that not only caused him to miss a number of games, but sapped his production as well. After earning first-team All-Pro accolades in 2022, Fitzpatrick had a tough 2023 season, playing in just 10 games.
“Minkah Fitzpatrick is coming off his least productive season as a pro, but injuries were largely to blame for his down year,” Robinson writes regarding Fitzpatrick. “Provided Fitzpatrick stays healthy next year, the 27-year-old should return to his elite level of play. He has a nose for the football, but his coverage consistency is that of an elite free safety.
“Fitzpatrick boasts the length, range, and trigger to cover serious ground on the back end, and he’s not afraid to come forward and hit, either.”
Fitzpatrick had to move around defensively for the Steelers, trying to wear a number of hats. That limited his effectiveness overall. So, too, did injuries that hit him hard, including a hamstring injury, a knee injury and a broken hand, and he didn’t record a single takeaway. He had just 2 passes defensed and 1 tackle for loss.
The Steelers added some pieces around him to help Fitzpatrick get back to his ball-hawking ways, most notably veteran safety DeShon Elliott, which should allow Fitzpatrick to get back to playing “Minkah Ball” in 2024. Should he stay healthy and return to his dominant ways, No. 57 overall in the top 100 will look far too low.
PFN ranked Tampa Bay safety Antoine Winfield Jr. as the top safety in the NFL, landing at No. 26, while Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton was one spot behind at No. 27.
Finally, Watt cracked the top 10 after a truly dominant 2023 season. However, he found himself behind Cleveland’s Myles Garrett (No. 2) and Dallas Cowboys’ EDGE Micah Parsons (No. 4) in the rankings, while slotting one spot ahead of Las Vegas’s Maxx Crosby.
“One of the NFL’s most dependable players, T.J. Watt led the league in sacks in 2020, 2021 and 2023, only failing in 2022 while missing seven games due to an injury,” Robinson writes regarding Watt’s ranking. “He took home Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 after posting 22.5 sacks to tie Michael Strahan’s single-season record.
“A constant, unceasing threat from the edge, Watt is the most talented player on a star-studded Pittsburgh Steelers defense.”
Back healthy following a partially torn pectoral muscle in 2022 that limited him to just 10 games, Watt was a disruptive force, leading the NFL in sacks with 19.0 on the season. He became the first player ever in NFL history to lead the NFL in sacks in three different seasons, all while recording the second-most sacks in his first 100 games, surpassing his brother, J.J., and landing behind only Reggie White.
Healthy and on the field, Watt dominated each and every week. He had at least at least one sack in 13 of 17 games on the year. He was a force against the run, too, added an interception after dropping into coverage and scored a defensive touchdown on a fumble return helping the Steelers win a game early in the season against the Cleveland Browns.
On a star-studded defense, Watt shines the brightest.
