Only one Pittsburgh Steeler has appeared on the NFL’s Top 100 list so far. Defensive back Jalen Ramsey slotted in at No. 82, a higher-than-expected ranking given his bumpy first year with the team.
The presumption was that two more names would join him — Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt.
As the list has moved into the high 60s, it’s looking more likely that only Watt will be on the list. Is Heyward becoming an obvious snub?
It won’t be the first snub for Heyward this summer. A recent panel of NFL execs excluded him from their list of top 10 interior defensive linemen.
Missing both lists might be a sign that Heyward isn’t as good as he’s perceived, but the tape makes that argument hard to digest. Heyward still proved to be an elite run-stuffer last season, and though his sack production dripped to 3.5, he still showed the ability to collapse the pocket with his bull rush and long arm.
For those analytically inclined, Pro Football Focus graded Heyward as the NFL’s top defensive tackle in 2025. His run defense ranked second and his pass rush fifth.
As our Ross McCorkle pointed out, Heyward’s highest-ranking on the NFL’s Top 100 was a 42nd-place finish after the 2021 season. His average ranking is 70th, and last year, he took the 83rd spot. Given his drop in sacks, it’s hard to believe he’ll jump from 83rd to over 20 spots higher this year.
The only comfort in his likely snubbing is the questionable credibility of the Top 100 list to begin with. Some level of doubt has always been cast on it. How many players actually vote, how much thought gets put into the list, and how the league creates the entire ranking.
We know players are only asked to fill out the top 20 players, not 1 through 100. The league presumably has some sort of point system to format the rest.
This year’s edition has raised even more eyebrows than usual. Baltimore Ravens fans took exception with QB Lamar Jackson’s fall from No. 2 a year ago to No. 69 this year. Seeing S Kyle Hamilton at No. 63 elicited similar anger.
On social media, the list has been mocked for being meaningless.
No matter how credible the list is – or isn’t – it’s just a list. It doesn’t change Heyward’s talent nor ability, nor value to the Steelers.
Still, snubs aren’t often forgotten. Pittsburgh Penguins fans still point out the year Evgeni Malkin was left off the NHL’s Top 100.
If anything, Heyward will use this as more fuel to his fire to have a successful age-37 season and prove the list, should it leave him off, was completely wrong.
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