The Pittsburgh Steelers are consistently in the NFL playoff picture for a multitude of reasons. One of those is the job that Mike Tomlin does each season, but near the top of the list is also the work of their elite defensive line.

With the star power of T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward complemented by Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, as well as the addition of first-round pick Derrick Harmon, it would be hard to find a more complete defensive line across the NFL. Zoltan Buday of PFF agrees, as he ranked the Steelers as the best defensive line in football.

“Led by edge defender T.J. Watt and interior defender Cameron Heyward, the Steelers’ defensive line continues to be the best in the NFL,” Buday writes. “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.”

Pittsburgh tied for ninth in sacks in 2024 with 40 and allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game. With the additions they’ve made, there’s no reason to believe they can’t be even better and put up top-defense numbers.