ESPN Ranks Three Steelers On Top 100 List For 2024 Season

The 2024 NFL season is right around the corner and the Pittsburgh Steelers are once again going to be led by their defensive stars.

While the offense remains a major question mark for Pittsburgh heading into Week 1 of the 2024 season, the defense is what will set the team apart once again.

ESPN has put together a top 100 players list for the 2024 season, where NFL writers focused on the “upcoming season and predicting potential greatness” for what’s to come this year rather than their past performances.

As a result, three Steelers defenders landed on the list. The first was defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, who landed at No. 75 after not being ranked heading into the 2023 season. ESPN projects Heyward to finish with 65 tackles and three sacks.

Second on the list for Pittsburgh is safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who is ranked at 59. ESPN is projecting the Steelers star to finish with an impressive 111 tackles while adding two interceptions, and one sack. He was ranked 37th ahead of the 2023 campaign.

And, unsurprisingly, T.J. Watt is the highest-ranked Steelers player on the list, coming in at No. 10.

“After he finished in the top two in voting for Defensive Player of the Year in three of the past four seasons, it’s hard to overstate Watt’s dominance,” ESPN’s Brooke Pryor wrote. “The game-wrecking outside linebacker led the league with 19 sacks last season. And despite missing nearly half of the 2022 season, Watt still leads the NFL with 47 sacks over the past three years. He’s showing little sign of slowing down as he enters his eighth NFL season, and Alex Highsmith’s continued development opposite of him only helps Watt’s effectiveness.”

ESPN projects Watt to finish with 13 sacks and 64 tackles for Pittsburgh this season.

The Steelers’ defense will get their first crack to shine this season in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons.

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