We're now in the middle of July, which means the 2025 NFL season is right around the corner.
Most teams are about to start training camp, and preseason games will begin next month. That means we're starting to get a good idea of how each team's roster will look.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be one of the most fascinating teams to keep up with. The team has had a non-typical offseason by their standards, pulling off multiple splashy trades and bringing in Aaron Rodgers to be the quarterback.
In addition to Rodgers, the team traded for D.K. Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey, and Jonnu Smith. It's a bold strategy, as the team added aging talent with the the hopes of being good enough to compete in 2025.
While it is yet to be seen whether this strategy will pay off, we know there's one position group on the team that will be elite- the defensive line.
Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus recently identified the top defensive lines in the NFL, and the Steelers landed the top spot. The unit features T.J. Watt, rookie Derrick Harmon, Keeanu Benton, Cam Heyward, and Alex Highsmith.
Regarding the Steelers' line, Buday offered the following:
Led by edge defender T.J. Watt and interior defender Cameron Heyward, the Steelers' defensive line continues to be the best in the NFL. Two Pittsburgh players were among the 30 highest-graded interior defenders, and three ranked in the top 20 among edge defenders last season.
Heyward’s 90.1 PFF overall grade ranked second at his position, while Watt’s 91.7 mark was the third highest among edge defenders. The Steelers even selected interior defender Derrick Harmon with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, further bolstering an elite unit.
As Buday mentioned, the Steelers' unit is anchored by Watt and Heyward, who are both generational talents. Highsmith also had an elite 89.0 grade in 2024, which ranked 8th out of 119 qualified edge-rushers.
Benton has been an above-average nose tackle in his own right, and the rookie Harmon should be a difference-maker immediately.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the Watt contract standoff. The veteran star sat out of minicamp and has even been featured in trade rumors recently. Even if the Steelers trade Watt, though, this unit is still incredibly deep and would be among the league's best regardless.
Watt has led the league in sacks three times and has earned seven-consecutive Pro Bowl selections. Heyward, meanwhile, has also earned seven Pro Bowl selections and has consistently been one of the best interior defenders in the league.