The writers and editors at Last Word on Sports recently voted on the top 50 players in the NFL. The final results were posted in a five-article series, with ten players in each piece. For the 2023 edition, three Pittsburgh Steelers players cracked our top 50. This list is not to be confused with the NFL’s official Top 100 rankings, however. Let’s take a look at which three did crack our list and how they ended up earning a spot in the rankings.
For the complete list of LWOS’ player rankings:
The Top 10 and Overall List | 11-20 | 21-30 | 31-40 | 41-50
3 Pittsburgh Steelers Players Crack Last Word On Sports’ NFL Top 50 List
The three Pittsburgh Steelers players who cracked our 2023 list were T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and George Pickens. Watt placed just outside the top 10 and likely would’ve finished inside if he had a full year. Fitzpatrick and Pickens placed in the 30-45 range with both having impressive 2022 seasons. In the NFL’s official list, three Steelers players made the Top 100, with Cameron Heyward taking Pickens’ spot in those rankings. Here’s an in-depth look at how these four players fared in 2022 and how they earned a spot in either of the two sets of rankings.
T.J. Watt, Edge Rusher: #11 in LWOS Poll, #27 in NFL Rankings
Watt won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2021 after tying the single-season sack record of 22.5. He also forced a career-high five fumbles and had 64 total tackles. Watt was limited to just ten games in the 2022 season due to an injury that forced him to the IR from Week 1 until Week 10. In his limited time, Watt still racked up 5.5 sacks, 39 total tackles, and two interceptions. He did have a slight drop off from 2022’s rankings, where he finished sixth in the whole NFL. Now that Watt is healthy, he is hoping to have a big season in 2023 and help the Steelers again have a good defensive season.
Minkah Fitzpatrick, Safety: #33 in LWOS Poll, #18 in NFL Rankings
In this case, Fitzpatrick was found more valuable by other fellow NFL players than we writers did at LWOS. Fitzpatrick was a game-changing safety in 2022 and tallied six interceptions, which was enough to tie for first in the NFL. He had 96 total tackles, 11 pass deflections, and one pick-six touchdown. Fitzpatrick has been one of the best, if not the best, safeties in football these past few years. He looks to continue his dominance in 2023 as one of the best to roam the defensive secondary in an increasingly pass-heavy league.
George Pickens, Wide Reciever: #45 in LWOS Poll, NR in NFL Rankings
Pickens surprisingly made our writers’ top 50 list in the number 45 slot. Stat-wise, Pickens was good but not impressive in his rookie campaign. He finished 38th in yards, outside of the top 50 in catches, and tied for 46th with four touchdowns. I believe what separated him from the rest of the receivers was his fascinating catches and dominating presence and play. His lowly production can be explained by a poorly-performing offense, but with how big and skilled he is, he could very well earn this spot by the end of the season.
Cameron Heyward, Defensive End: NR in LWOS Poll, #45 in NFL Rankings
Heyward did not crack our top 50 list but there’s little doubt he would have made the top 100 should we have opened the voting up more. Even in his age 33 season, Heyward was still a beast and racked up 74 tackles and 10.5 sacks. He simply has a dominating physique and presence of defense and helps disrupt both aspects of opposing offenses. Heyward was great in stopping the run but also forced pressure and deflected passes too. He is a great leader and a complete defensive end, and his age isn’t slowing him down. His great performance in 2022 earned him the #45 spot in the NFL’s top 100 rankings.
Main Photo: Charles LeClaire – USA Today Sports
