One of the under-the-radar mysteries for the Pittsburgh Steelers this season is how T.J. Watt will look playing for a new defense. For the first time in his career, he won't have Mike Tomlin, who has had a heavy influence on the Steelers' defense. Now, Patrick Graham takes over as defensive coordinator and has already turned EDGE defenders into All-Pro talents elsewhere. Graham won't need to transform Watt. He just needs to find a way to get him back into a productive role. Despite his dip in production, Watt still has believers, including one who said he's still a top-10 player.
Mark Schlereth, a former Super Bowl-winning offensive guard, said he isn't worried about Watt. In fact, he suggested Watt is still a top-10 player in the NFL. Schlereth made the case on his podcast, The Stinkin' Truth, while praising Watt.
“T.J. Watt is a dude that every time you break the huddle, you gotta figure out where that guy is. Plays exceptionally hard, unbelievable,” Schlereth said of Watt. “Not only from an upfield, getting you with speed, but also his counter moves getting back inside. But I think he’s one of those guys that’s just a complete player.”
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New Defense, New Opportunity for Watt
One of the more frustrating aspects of Watt's game is that defenses know exactly where he'll line up. Even more frustrating, they know exactly what the Steelers ask him to do on the EDGE. Former defensive coordinator Teryl Austin struggled to draw up blitzes and dial up creative pressure, which led to vanilla blitz schemes that offenses could easily counter. Watt's production dipped in 2024 after an ankle injury, and it fell even further in 2025.
Now Watt has a new opportunity with a brand-new coaching staff. Graham, his new defensive coordinator, not only knows how to put his defensive talent in position to win, but he also doesn't confine his philosophy to a single approach. Graham has adopted the approach of Bill Belichick, who built his defensive success on consistently adapting to attack opposing offenses.
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Graham Will Push Watt to Success
Watt has already confirmed that Graham will move him around within the defense. One set of film Graham likely reviewed was Watt's 2021 Defensive Player of the Year season, when he tied Michael Strahan's single-season sack record in two fewer games played. One of the key tactics then-defensive coordinator Keith Butler employed was using Watt as a box backer.
This resulted from the need to address the team's struggling run defense. Even so, offenses still had to account for Watt, as Schlereth pointed out. Watt also benefited from Butler's ability to dial up blitzes effectively. Graham uses his blitzes strategically, and they generate strong results. With Graham running the defense, Watt could absolutely get back to being the All-Pro-caliber player that he is.
