Nobody is surprised anymore whenever somebody mentions T.J. Watt’s name in a list of the best defensive players in the NFL right now. After all, why would you, after he finished the 2019 season third in voting for the Defensive Player of the Year Award—doing so in just his third season?
The 30th-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers has already solidified his reputation as an elite young defender, separate from the legacy of his own older and still-dominant-when-healthy older brother, J.J. Watt, who is one of only two players in NFL history to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award three times.