PFF: TJ Watt ranked as seventh best player in NFL

PFF has ranked former Wisconsin and current Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt as the seventh best player in the NFL. This comes as PFF ranks the top 50 players in the NFL ahead of the 2022 season.

T.J. Watt’s ranking puts him directly between two quarterbacks, Josh Allen and Tom Brady. He is the second-ranked defensive player in the NFL. Aaron Donald, who is the best NFL player according to PFF, is the only defensive player ahead of Watt.

“Over the past two seasons, Watt leads the league in sacks and sack rate despite rushing the passer over 450 fewer times than some of the players behind him,” PFF wrote about T.J. Watt. “He also has an exceptional knack for making other plays, batting 12 passes and forcing seven fumbles over that span. Watt is an impact player who is playing as well as any edge rusher in the league right now.”

T.J. Watt was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2021. He has also been an All-Pro player three times through five NFL seasons. His 22.5 sacks in 2021 tied Michael Strahan for an NFL record for sacks in one season. He has led the NFL in sacks for the past two seasons and will try to continue that streak in 2022. When all of that is taken into consideration, it’s no wonder why PFF lists him as a top 10 NFL player.

While at Wisconsin, T.J. Watt was All-Big Ten in 2016. During that 2016 season, he had double-digit sacks, before forgoing his eligibility to move onto the NFL.

T.J. Watt is the brother of J.J. Watt, a dominant edge rusher in his own right. Both Watt brothers appear to be on their way to the NFL Hall of Fame, but which brother has the better career remains to be seen. For 2022, PFF expects T.J. Watt to be the better of the two brothers.