With the NFL season on its way, much of the anxiety that many fans and others alike is increasing at a rapid pace. However, one of the biggest things Pittsburgh Steelers fans should look forward to is the defensive line unit that will be put out every week during the 2021 NFL season.
Starting with players who still remain are veterans like Cam Heyward and T.J Watt, the group definitely has some talent. There are definitely many Steeler fans who believed Watt should have or could have won the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year over Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald. Watt, who led the NFL in sacks last year had a solid case but alongside him was former Steeler, now Tennessee Titan, Bud Dupree who himself was third on the team in sacks. Now, with Dupree out of Pittsburgh, Watt will have to take his game to the next level, along with the rest of the defensive line.
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In an article by Ben Linsey for Pro Football Focus, he laid out his opinion for who the best defensive line unit in the upcoming NFL year with the Steelers unit coming in at the top spot. His reason? The evidence he brought along was that the team might actually have a player in Alex Highsmith who outperformed Dupree in pass-rush win rate, there was four players ranked in the top 32 at their position, as well as their league-leading 45.1% pressure rate.
In my opinion, the Steelers definitely have one of the best defensive units overall and have an argument as the best defensive-line in the league. The big question for the unit is whether or not the line can stay healthy for the whole season. Remember, the two interior linemen Tyson Alualu and Heyward are both 32 years or older and this upcoming NFL season is the first 17-game season these players have had in their NFL careers. The big thing for these two in particular is health, if they get hurt, the defensive line will lose one or maybe two of their team's leaders.
If you have a comment, leave one! Who do you think is the best player on Pittsburgh's defensive line?
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