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AIPROPX ReportYahoo Sports · 1h ago
Former Badgers star falls 30 spots in NFL Top 100
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 12: T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on from the field during an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium on January 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When it comes to Wisconsin Badgers stars over the last decade, apart from the running backs who have regularly dominated, the first two names that come up are the Watt brothers, J.J. Watt and T.J. Watt.
Both players were in-state recruits who dominated with the Badgers en route to being first-round picks in their respective drafts. While the older Watt has retired, the younger Watt has remained a top player in the NFL, earning a three-year, $123 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2025 that included $108 million guaranteed, making him one of the highest-paid pass rushers in the league.
Watt has regularly been one of the top-rated players in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl in each of his last eight seasons, while also racking up four AP First-Team All-Pro selections and one AP Second-Team All-Pro selection.
Watt was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 during his incredible 22.5-sack season, and he remained dominant through the 2023 season, when he had 19.0 sacks coming off an injury. But over the last two years, and especially in 2025, the star pass rusher’s numbers have started to dip.
Following that 19.5-sack season, Watt had 11.5 sacks in 2024, while still being quite an impactful player, being named a second-team All-Pro selection, as well as fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. This past season, though, Watt had just seven sacks, while his pressure rate continued to dip. Make no mistake, he’s still finding ways to impact the run game (10 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles) and being a productive player; it’s just not at his previous levels of pure dominance.
So, in his latest NFL Top 100 ranking, it wasn’t a surprise to see Watt drop 30 spots from his 2025 rank from No. 11 to No. 41.
“One of the game’s most highly regarded defensive stalwarts, Watt had a down season by his lofty standards, but the respect he’s earned from his counterparts is still clear in his ranking — even with the steep 30-spot fall,” NFL.com’s Grant Gordon wrote. “For an eighth consecutive season, Watt was voted to the Pro Bowl, playing a vital role in drawing the focus of opposing offenses while aiding in the Steelers winning the AFC North.”
“Watt was chip blocked on 30.8% of his pass rushes in 2025, the highest percentage in the NFL. He was chipped a total of 134 times, which was second to only rival Myles Garrett despite Watt missing three games.”
Watt does have a ton of help now on the defensive line with former Badger stars Keeanu Benton and Nick Herbig, while Alex Highsmith and Cameron Heyward are still both productive. So, the burden isn’t fully on him, but we’ll see how he performs in 2026 heading into his age-32 season.
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