Cam Heyward continues to defy Father Time with his high level of play. He was an All-Pro for the second consecutive season in 2025, marking two All-Pro selections since turning 35 years old. Despite that production, though, Heyward was shockingly left out of the top 10 defensive tackle rankings from NFL personnel across the league, as polled by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The full top 10 list is as follows:
- Leonard Williams, Seattle Seahawks
- Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans
- Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
- Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
- Derrick Brown, Carolina Panthers
- Quinnen Williams, Dallas Cowboys
- Dexter Lawrence, Cincinnati Bengals
- Zach Allen, Denver Broncos
- Milton Williams, New England Patriots
- Jordan Davis, Philadelphia Eagles
This marks the second positional ranking in which a notable Steelers player was snubbed. Joey Porter
Jr was left off the top 10 cornerback list, despite several of his numbers being better than Pat Surtain, who took home the No. 1 ranking. T.J. Watt did, however, crack the top 10 edge rushers list, slotting in at the No. 7 spot.
“Definitely in decline,” one AFC executive said on Watt. “He’s still very good. But some of the younger players have surpassed him.”
Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig also received votes.
Heyward signed an extension back in March that will keep him with the team through the 2027 season. Should he get to the end of that extension, it would mark 17 seasons he’s spent with the Steelers, putting him just one behind Ben Roethlisberger for the franchise record.
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