Why TJ Watt is on track to become the Pittsburgh Steelers' best defenseman of all time

When BTSC held our All-Time Pittsburgh Steelers Fantasy Draft earlier this year, I surprised some by selecting TJ Watt number one overall. With 32 Hall of Famers and a dozen more in the Hall of Honor, how could a player currently on the roster be in the same conversation as these legends? But recently, some key Steelers prospects have put Watt at the top of their all-time rankings. While there are still many chapters to be written in Watt's story, he is currently on pace to become the Steelers' best defenseman of all time.

The conversation got serious last month when former head coach Bill Cowher listed his top five Steelers defenders on The NFL Today. He ranked Watt fourth all-time behind Joe Greene, Rod Woodson and Mel Blount and Troy Polamalu fifth all-time. Jack Ham seconded Cowher's assessment on Friday when he appeared on 93.7 The Fan with his top five. He also placed Watt fifth behind Greene, Polamalu, Blount and Woodson.

So let's take a look at how Watt currently compares to these and other legends in terms of stats, awards and mythical moments.

DT Joe Greene

• 5x All-Pro, 5x Second Team All-Pro. 10x Pro Bowler
• Defensive Player of the Year in 1972 and 1974. Third in voting in 1973, fifth in 1975, ninth in 1979.
• NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1969
• 1970s All-Decade Team, 75th All-Time NFL Team, 100th All-Time NFL Team.
• 13 seasons, 181 games. 77.5 sacks (unofficial). 16 fumbled recoveries.

Key moments in the game: 5 sacks and a fumble recovery in a 9-3 win over the Oilers that secured the Steelers' first playoff appearance (1972). Interception and fumble recovery in Super Bowl IX. Sack and forced fumble in Super Bowl XII.

LB Jack Lambert

• 6x All-Pro, 2x Second Team All-Pro. 9x Pro Bowler.
• Defensive Player of the Year in 1976. Ninth in voting in 1975, fourth in 1978, third in 1979, seventh in 1981, seventh in 1982, sixth in 1983.
• Runner-up in MVP voting in 1976.
• NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974.
• 70s All Decade Team, 80s All Decade Team, All 80s, All-Time NFL 75th Anniversary Team, All-Time NFL 100th Anniversary Team.
• 11 seasons, 137 games. 1,479 tackles, 28 interceptions, 17 fumble recoveries.

Key moments in the game: Three fumble recoveries in the 1976 AFC Championship Game. 14 tackles in Super Bowl X. Game-saving interception in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl XIV.

LB Jack Ham

• 6x All-Pro, 2x Second Team All-Pro. 8x professional bowlers.
• 1975: Football News Defensive Player of the Year. Seventh in AP voting in 1975, eighth in 1976, seventh in 1977, second in 1978, fourth in 1979.
• 1970s All-Decade Team, 75th All-Time NFL Team, 100th All-Time NFL Team.
• 12 seasons, 162 games. 32 interceptions, 21 fumble recoveries (most NFL takeaways for a non-DB).

Key moments in the game: two interceptions in the 1974 AFC Championship. Two fumble recoveries, a sack and an interception in the 1978 AFC Championship.

CB Mel Blount

• 2x All-Pro, 4x Second Team All-Pro. 5x Pro Bowler.
• 1975 Defensive Player of the Year.
• 80s All-Decade Team, 75th All-Time NFL Team, 100th All-time NFL Team.
• 14 seasons, 200 games. 57 interceptions.

Key moments in the game: Interception in Super Bowl IX. Interception in the 1975 Divisional. Fumble recovery in the 1979 AFC Championship. Interception in Super Bowl XIII.

CB Rod Woodson (with the Steelers)

• 5x All-Pro, 2x Second Team All-Pro. 7x Pro Bowler.
• 1993 Defensive Player of the Year. Second in voting in 1994, tenth in 1996.
• 1990s All-Decade Team, 75th All-Time NFL Team, 100th All-time NFL Team.
• 10 seasons, 134 games, 38 interceptions, 16 forced fumbles, 21 fumble recoveries.

Key Game Moments: Interception in the 1995 AFC Championship Game (loss to the Chargers).

S Troy Polamalu

4x All-Pro, 2x Second Team All-Pro. 8x professional bowlers.

Defensive Player of the Year 2010. Third in voting in 2005, fifth in 2008.

00s All-Decade Team.

12 seasons, 158 games, 32 interceptions, 14 forced fumbles, 107 pass deflections.

Key Game Moments: Interception in the 2005 Divisional. Game-winning interception in the 2008 AFC Championship.

LB TJ Watts

4x All-Pro, 1x Second Team All-Pro. 6x Pro Bowler.

Defensive Player of the Year 2021. Third in voting in 2019, second in 2020, third in 2023.

8th season, 110 games. 101 sacks, 30 forced fumbles.

Key moments in the game: Pass deflection that caused an interception and a fumble recovery for a touchdown in 2021 Wild Card (loss to Chiefs).

Statistically speaking, Watt is on track to match, if not surpass, most individual awards. He is already the Steelers' all-time sack leader. He may be on his way to his seventh Pro Bowl in eight seasons. As long as he stays healthy, one would assume he can compete with Lambert and maybe even Greene. Greene would surpass his Defensive Player of the Year selection with another win. The length of his career could only be shortened by a drastic injury.

What separates Watt from the rest of the GOATs are the big game moments. Everyone else on this list except Woodson has won Lombardis, and even Hot Rod has played in a Super Bowl and two AFC championships. Watt is 0-3 in the playoffs. Get him a ring, or at least appear in a Super Bowl, and Watt will add his face to Steeler's Mount Rushmore.