As they enter what could be a transitional year, the Pittsburgh Steelers roster has its share of question marks. There is a lot of talent sitting on the roster though, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Over the past several seasons, Pittsburgh’s top talent has mainly resided on their defense. So far, it looks like 2021 will be no different. These Pittsburgh Steelers players are most likely to find themselves on the AFC Pro Bowl roster after the season.
Five Pittsburgh Steelers That Could Make the Pro Bowl
T.J. Watt
This list will be in order from most likely to least likely Pro Bowl selections, which is why we get to Watt first. There isn’t much to be said about Watt that you don’t already know. In 2020, he led the NFL in sacks, tackles for loss, and quarterback hits, all despite sitting out the team’s Week 17 contest. He is an elite edge rusher, one of the best in the league against both the pass and the run. In terms of productivity, Watt probably has the best argument for being the league’s best edge player over the past two seasons.
Barring an injury or unforeseen circumstance, Watt will be a Pro Bowler in 2021. Take that to the bank. With T.J. Watt, Pro Bowls are now to the point where they are expected, almost a given. With him, we look beyond the Pro Bowl. First-team All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year candidacy are the expectations for Watt given his play over the past two seasons.
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Minkah Fitzpatrick
Though he’s not quite as dominant as Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick is another almost-guarantee for the Pro Bowl. Since joining the Steelers early in the 2019 season, Fitzpatrick has been nothing short of elite. He has a strong case for being considered the best safety in football. In each of the past two seasons, Fitzpatrick was selected as both a Pro Bowler and a first-team All-Pro. Last year, he managed to put up impressive numbers despite being targeted in pass coverage just 26 times. Even when quarterbacks don’t throw his way, Fitzpatrick still impact’s the game massively.
Cameron Heyward
Rounding out the Steelers trio of truly elite defensive players is Cameron Heyward. If history is any indicator, we can probably already write Heyward into the 2021 Pro Bowl. He has been selected as a Pro Bowler in each of the last four seasons, on top of being an All-Pro three of the past four years (first-team selection twice). Like a fine wine, Heyward seems to be getting better as he ages. Every interior defensive lineman in the NFL not named Aaron Donald is competing for the title of “second best defensive lineman.” Last year, DeForest Buckner took the crown, but the past few seasons point to Heyward holding that title for now.
Stephon Tuitt
Voters might not want to put three of the Steelers front four on the Pro Bowl team, because Stephon Tuitt made a very strong case in 2020. He put up 11 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and 25 quarterback hits (all career highs, sacks by a wide margin) in just 15 games. These are very impressive numbers for an interior defensive lineman. Early in the season, Tuitt was in the top five for Defensive Player of the Year odds. His performance was very strong in 2020, and he will need to repeat that performance in 2021. As the Steelers look to replace several key defensive players, the elite players on the defense need to remain elite.
Devin Bush
Though this one is unlikely, it’s still more likely than any Steelers offensive player finding themselves in the 2021 Pro Bowl. Devin Bush returns from the torn ACL that he suffered in Week 5 of the 2020 season. His 2020 campaign was off to a decent start, though the argument could be made that his rookie season in 2019 was better. With the Steelers defense expected to be a little worse in 2021, there will be expectations for Bush to pick up some of the slack. Given his speed and versatility, it’s safe to assume that Bush will rack up a pile of tackles. If he can make some plays in coverage and create some turnovers, then he could find himself in his first career Pro Bowl.
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