The Pittsburgh Steelers always seem to have a great defense. The Steel Curtain's defensive strength is almost as inevitable as the team finishing with a winning record under Mike Tomlin. One of the team's best defensive players is no longer regarded as the best in the league according to NFL personnel.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently polled various NFL personnel, including executives, coaches, and scouts about the best safeties in the NFL. Fowler used this information to create a ranking of the top 10 best safeties ahead of the 2024 NFL season. Minkah Fitzpatrick used to be at the top of this ranking, but has relinquished the top spot this year. Fitzpatrick is now ranked as the fourth best safety in football, lagging behind Antoine Winfield Jr., Kyle Hamilton, and Jessie Bates III.
The story for Minkah Fitzpatrick lately has been his inability to force turnovers. In the past, Fitzpatrick has been so skilled at taking the ball away. However, 2023 was certainly a down year for him. Fitzpatrick had zero interceptions and only three pass deflections in 2023. This is compared to his 19 interceptions and 47 pass breakups throughout his first five seasons in the league.
“He was playing closer to the line of scrimmage this year — not sure why, maybe they needed his leadership and instincts up there, but it hurt his bottom line,” an NFL personnel evaluator said.
However, Fitzpatrick is still considered to be an elite safety in the NFL.
“Still a great player you have to know where he is at all times, can flip the game at any time with a big play,” a veteran AFC scout said. “Ball production always comes and goes at that position. Wasn't his best year but still instinctive and tough. Has the playmaking knack, just not quite the same opportunities as last year.”
Steelers' T.J. Watt dubbed ‘Aaron Donald of pass rushers' but still not voted NFL's best edge rusher
Minkah Fitzpatrick is not the only member of the Steelers' defense who was featured on one of these ESPN rankings.
Earlier this week, superstar T.J. Watt was featured on ESPN's ranking of the top 10 edge rushers in the NFL ahead of the 2024 season.
One voter dubbed Watt the “Aaron Donald of pass rushers,” meaning the player who should top every list. However, Watt did not come in first place in this ESPN ranking. He finished second behind division rival Myles Garrett.
Watt is definitely a menace on the field. Watt led the NFL last year with 19 sacks and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
“He can't be labeled a high-motor guy — he's just exceptionally hard to block, probably the hardest in the league,” a high-ranking NFL official said. “He has technique, power, counters, violence, bend. Everything you want.”
T.J. Watt has been a sacking machine throughout his NFL career. In fact, he has logged 96.5 sacks throughout his first seven years in the league. This ranks him third all-time behind greats like Reggie White (110) and DeMarcus Ware (99.5).
Watt is ranked higher than last year (fourth) but he still received a fifth-place vote in this year's ranking.
Perhaps Watt can use this ranking as bulletin board material. He is certainly talented enough to become the league's best pass rusher. Now he just needs to go out there and definitively prove it.
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