The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the best outside linebacker tandems in the league with T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, and behind them, they have an emerging young pass rusher in Nick Herbig and developing players like Jeremiah Moon. While Watt and Highsmith have some of the best array of pass-rush moves out of any edge rusher, and Watt is helping the younger guys develop their moves. Outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin said Watt is as good of a teacher as he is a player.
Martin also said that Watt is still using a move he learned from James Harrison when the latter came to Steelers training camp.
“T.J.’s picked up from guys like Deebo. You saw him in training camp, and we still work in this move that Deebo showed us in training camp,” Martin said via SteelersLive on Twitter. “There’s specific moves we work through with all those guys. T.J.’s one of the best teachers, as he is a player. He can grab one of these guys and show him what he does and how he does it. Those guys usually pick it up and go.”
Watt worked extensively with Herbig over the offseason, and Martin singled out time with Herbig as an example of Watt’s teaching ability. It’s going to make the room better as a whole learning from the best pass rusher in the league in Watt, and it’s cool to see Pittsburgh’s legacy carry on with Harrison teaching Watt and then Watt teaching his teammates.
It’s a cool dynamic, and the development of the room going forward is going to be fun to monitor. Herbig has already made a major impact when he’s been on the field this year, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him emerge as one of the league’s best sooner rather than later. He’ll still be behind Watt and Highsmith, but the Steelers have used three-outside linebacker packages this year. That could continue when Herbig gets healthy, which he’s optimistic will happen after the bye week.
Watt’s leadership is huge for Pittsburgh’s defense, and guys are taking to what he’s teaching and what he’s doing on the field. While no one has the pure natural ability that Watt does, leading by example builds camaraderie and sets a standard for other guys to follow. The success of Watt and Pittsburgh’s outside linebackers is a big reason why the team is 6-2, and if the room continues to play the same way in the second half, the Steelers will be tough to beat.
