Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt is a certain first-ballot Hall-of-Famer when his career ends, and Pro Football Focus highlighted a statistic that just proves it.
The football scouting firm presented a stat on their Twitter feed showing that there were only two defenders since 2006 that have registered 100-plus pressures in a single season: J.J. Watt and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Upon further examination, the stat seems to indicate how much more of a force Donald has been in his career than has Watt. After all, Donald is playing in the interior of the defensive line, not just on the edge and getting to tee off on quarterbacks. The two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is stopping the run on the way to the quarterback.
However, there is more to consider.
Most people are familiar with the fact that Watt is a first-team All-Pro five times over. Yet, a lesser known fact about Watt is that he is a two-time second-team All-Pro as a defensive tackle. In 2014 and 2018, Watt received enough votes for his play as a defensive tackle to make the second team.
Donald, as great as he is, has never placed as a second-team All-Pro at defensive tackle.
“He’s an exceptional football player,” Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll said of Watt on Dec. 31, 2019. “He’s been an all-pro for a variety of reasons, he’s dynamic, he can affect the pass game, affect the run game, I’ve got a lot of respect for him and how he handles himself off the field, those things he’s done. On the field he’s a beast and you have to have a plan for him.”
The Texans are hopeful Watt can return to form after missing eight games with a torn pectoral in 2019. If Houston gets another All-Pro season out of Watt, coupled with over 100 quarterback pressures, it should be a boost for first-year defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver.
