The Pittsburgh Steelers are lucky to have two of the best defensive players in the NFL including Edge Rusher, T.J. Watt, and Safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick. At least, that's what fans of the organization and generally most of those involved with the league believe. Watt is the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year and Fitzpatrick is tied for first in interceptions returned for touchdowns since he was traded to the franchise. He would be in the lead by himself if he took the game-clinching turnover into the end zone on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. According to an ESPN survey, however, the two are a couple of the most overrated players in the entire league.
Steelers' T.J. Watt (#90) smiles as he gets ready for a 2022 regular season matchup against Jonathan Taylor and the Indianapolis Colts. | Photo Credit: Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers
A survey was conducted with members of different NFL teams' analytics groups. In today's day in age, several coaches are relying on analytics to make certain decisions and even start specific players over others. The two defensive stars for Pittsburgh both received one vote which landed them on the list. There wasn't a specific blurb on Watt, but one analyst compared Fitzpatrick to Seattle Seahawks safety, Jamal Adams.
"He's better than Adams but I feel like Fitzpatrick is just very chaotic. He has a lot of great flash plays, but I think he's out of position and making mistakes too much. I think his grades are always a lot lower than what the scouts are saying about him," a staffer said, referencing their team's in-house quantitative grades.
The first part that comes off as inaccurate here is discussing Fitzpatrick being out of position. He was moved all over the field a year ago as the Steelers needed a more dynamic player up near the line of scrimmage due to some defensive issues. In 2022, he returned back to his original position, and with the team's new look, and three-safety set, he seems to be exactly where he belongs as a ball hawk. The two-time All-Pro is not overrated and it is disrespectful to label him as such.
Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (#39) lurks in the secondary at Acrisure Stadium in a 2022 regular season game versus the New York Jets. |Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
Fitzpatrick currently has 62 tackles, eight passes defended, four interceptions and a touchdown that was the first score of the season for the team against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was named AFC Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts. He has put up those Pro Bowl numbers once again while missing two games due to one injury and then appendicitis. He is not just a top defender for the Steelers, but in the league as well.
Secondly, anyone labeling the NFL's best defensive player a year ago as overrated is asinine. The organization is 1-10 all-time when he doesn't suit up for a game, while the team is a staggering 55-25-2 when he is on the field. That may be the exact opposite of being overrated. One of the analysts ignored Watt and Fitzpatrick as he was only surprised that Los Angeles Chargers safety, Derwin James was on the list.
"Wow, Derwin James?! My goodness," they said. "I like Derwin James. The rest make sense to me, Derwin James is a surprise."
Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher, TJ Watt (#90) participates in the 2022 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. | Photo Credit: Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
Watt was even ranked the sixth-best player in the entire NFL by his peers in this season's version of the 'NFL Top 100'. Who knows where these analytic experts are collecting their data or why two of the best defensive players in the entire league are being labeled as overrated? Steelers fans can go ahead and laugh this one off because they know what they get with the two playmakers week in and week out when they are healthy.
Do you think that Watt and Fitzpatrick are overrated? Let us know in the comments below!
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