The Pittsburgh Steelers selected T.J. Watt with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft
The Steelers needed a pass rusher in the worst way. They addressed that with their first round pick by taking T.J. Watt. Watt has everything you would expect from someone with his name. He is a hard worker, he has played multiple positions in college, and of course he is a sensational athlete.
Watt has really long arms, and in spurts and moments you can see his enormous upside in potential. However, he is also very inexperienced on the edge and lacks a lot of refinement. He does not have many counter moves, and is unable to figure how to use arm extension and hand placement to get away from blocks. However, those are things that can be taught. What cannot be taught is having the strong hands and the long arms he does to create that extension.
Watt is a workout warrior and tore up the combine, propelling his stock into the first round. If you recall, J.J. Watt was a bit unrefined, was a bit of an unknown and made his name off of being a workout warrior. It did end working out well for the Texans and T.J. Watt obviously has the same bloodlines.
James Harrison is not getting any younger. He is already on a pitch count as it is, and the team needs someone to rotate in with him, with the upside to step in for him next season. Bud Dupree is on the other side, but behind those two, the depth at the position is ugly. Watt is a perfect fit and a player who can come in at times while he is learning the nuances of the game, and slowly become a known NFL entity, similar to his brother.
Grade: B