If there is one unit on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster that deserves national recognition, it would be the pass-rushing corps. Most of that production comes from the outside linebacker tandem of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, but 2024 should see a more balanced attack with a healthy Cam Heyward, and ascending players Keeanu Benton and Nick Herbig. The inside linebackers might even get involved with Patrick Queen, Elandon Roberts, and Payton Wilson all more than capable of getting after the quarterback.
The Ringer’s Diante Lee released a ranked list of pass-rushing corps around the league and surprisingly had the Steelers in the sixth spot. He also separated the pass rushers into different archetypes, and left Watt out of “The Dominators,” which he described as the four best edge rushers in the league and four of the most valuable defenders in football. Watt instead fell into “The Finishers” category, which labeled him as just a pass-rushing specialist.
The Dominators tier is comprised of Myles Garrett, Nick Bosa, Maxx Crosby, and Micah Parsons.
Part of the issue with this list is that it tracks stats from 2021 to 2023. Watt missed a good chunk of time and wasn’t his normal self in 2022 after dealing with a pectoral injury. Even with less games played than the top four on the list, Watt has more sacks than Crosby and Parsons. He also has the same amount of QB hits as Garrett and Parsons.
It is also unclear from where Lee pulled Watt’s numbers. He got the games played (42) correct, but he shorted Watt 15.5 sacks and 26 QB hits, according to Pro Football Reference.
I am okay with an open discussion on who the No. 1 pass rusher is in the NFL, but any list that names the top four should include Watt.
The Steelers ranked sixth overall behind the Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, and Houston Texans.
“If you believe that rushing the passer is an art, Watt and Highsmith should be high on your list of edges to watch on a weekly basis,” Lee wrote. “When both guys are on a roll, they can be devastating for opposing quarterbacks who are waiting for receivers to break open against Pittsburgh’s stingy man coverage. Watt’s 38 quarterback hits and 19 sacks were both league-leading marks in 2023, and Highsmith finished top 20 in total pressures.”
While other teams had multiple players listed as the supporting cast to the leading rusher, Lee only included Highsmith for the Steelers. He obviously didn’t catch Herbig’s league-leading preseason effort. The defensive line should also be in a much better spot than in 2023.
Highsmith didn’t have the sack production last year, but his pressures have steadily climbed in each season of his career. There are many reasons to believe he could have a career-high sack total in 2024.
This is probably the product of the Steelers being tied for the 11th most sacks in the NFL last season at 47. But the first year of this study, the Steelers led the league with 55. Don’t be surprised if they are pushing for the top spot once again in 2024.
