Pittsburgh Steelers rookie OLB T.J. Watt named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Week

The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t take T.J. Watt until the tail end of the 2017 NFL Draft, but it looks like they picked a winner when they selected the University of Wisconsin product.

Watt, the brother of Houston Texans J.J. Watt, has impressed the Steelers coaches and teammates since he walked into the team facility. His approach to the game, his intelligence and his overall will to improve and win has been amazing by all standards.

With that said, it was no surprise Watt had a tremendous debut in Week 1 of the 2017 regular season against the Cleveland Browns. His two sack, one interception performance was not only a first for an NFL rookie in his debut, but good enough to earn him NFL Defensive Rookie of the Week honors.

As it was no surprise Watt played the way he did Sunday, it was no surprise he was the slam dunk decision to be the rookie defender of the week.

The Steelers have seen other rookie defenders surge onto the scene, namely Bud Dupree, who had four sacks in his first four games, but slowly plateau as the year progressed. This will be the challenge for Watt as he is putting more tape of himself out there for offensive lines to study and prepare for.

Either way, if you were someone who said Watt was a bust of a pick this spring, you might want to rethink your standing on the matter.