T.J. Watt’s place among the NFL’s top edge rushers took a noticeable hit in ESPN’s latest positional survey, with the Steelers star sliding to No. 7 after landing at No. 2 a year ago.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is in the middle of rolling out rankings based on input from league executives and coaches, and the edge rusher list brought a sharp change at the top and a steep drop for Watt. The full top 10 featured 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; and Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos.
For Watt, the No. 7 slot is a clear fall from last season’s No. 2 ranking. One AFC executive told Fowler, “Definitely in decline,” an AFC executive told Fowler.
“He’s still very good. But some of the younger players have surpassed him.”
Watt’s 2025 season was interrupted when he missed three games because of a collapsed lung after a dry needling accident at the team facility. He finished with 7.5 sacks, his lowest total since 2022, and his sack numbers have now dipped in each of the last two seasons. He remains the Steelers’ all-time sacks leader, but the recent trend is hard to miss.
The Steelers still have plenty of firepower off the edge. Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig both drew honorable mention consideration, receiving votes that put them just outside the top 10. Highsmith led Pittsburgh last year with 9.5 sacks, while Watt and Herbig each had 7.5.
Herbig’s rise has been steady, with his sack total climbing in each of his first three seasons. That growth was rewarded with a four-year, 100 million dollar contract extension, and it points to a much bigger role for him this season.
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