We are officially under three weeks away from the Pittsburgh Steelers reporting for training camp. As we eagerly await the start of camps around the league, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is rolling out his survey of league executives and coaches to rank the best players at each position. In the latest rankings on the edge rusher position, Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt took a significant tumble from last year’s rankings.
The complete top 10 are as follows:
- Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams
- Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers
- Will Anderson Jr. Houston Texans
- Maxx Crosby, Baltimore Ravens
- Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
- Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans
- T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
- Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
- Brian Burns, New York Giants
- Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos
Watt’s number 7 ranking is a stark difference from the number two
spot he claimed last season.
“Definitely in decline,” an AFC executive told Fowler. “He’s still very good. But some of the younger players have surpassed him.”
Watt missed three games due to a collapsed lung after a dry needling accident at the team facility. Watt’s 7.5 sacks marked the lowest total since 2022. The franchise’s all-time sacks leader has seen his sack totals drop each of the last two seasons.
Just as notable as Watt’s tumble after a tumultuous 2025 season is the fact that fellow edge rusher Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig were listed in the honorable mentions as others who received votes to be included in the top 10.
It’s no secret that the Steelers’ strongest position is edge rusher. Highsmith paced the team last year with 9.5 sacks while Watt and Herbig recorded 7.5 sacks each. Herbig, who has increased his sack total in each of his three years in the league, was rewarded with a four-year, 100 million dollar contract extension, a sign that his playing time is set to make a major bump this season.
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