T.J. Watt has been one of the NFL's most productive pass rushers for nearly a decade. Even so, one ESPN analyst doesn't believe the Pittsburgh Steelers star would command a first-round pick if every player in the league suddenly became available.

According to ESPN's Bill Barnwell, Watt narrowly missed the cutoff in his team-by-team trade value rankings. Barnwell also left wide receiver DK Metcalf off the list of players he believes could return a first-round pick.

"Watt's a future Hall of Famer, but after a 19-sack season in 2023, he has 18.5 sacks over the past two seasons combined," Barnwell wrote. "As an extremely expensive player who turns 32 in October, Watt would only make sense for a handful of teams that see him as the last piece of a Super Bowl puzzle."

As per the July 16 ESPN report, Barnwell pointed to Watt's age, recent production, and contract as the biggest reasons.

The Steelers signed the veteran edge rusher to a three-year, $123 million extension in 2025. He carries guaranteed salaries of $32 million in both 2026 and 2027.

Metcalf also missed the first-round tier. Barnwell noted that Pittsburgh gave up a second-round pick to acquire the veteran receiver a year ago.

He also pointed out that a disappointing season could limit what another team would be willing to offer.

While Watt and Metcalf fell short, Barnwell identified six Steelers who could still bring back a first-round pick in a trade: Keeanu Benton, Troy Fautanu, Zach Frazier, Derrick Harmon, Nick Herbig and Joey Porter Jr.

The rankings also come after another dip in Watt's league-wide reputation. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently ranked him seventh among NFL edge rushers after he placed second a year earlier.

"This is a sizable fall for Watt, a three-time sack king who logged back-to-back No. 2 rankings over the past two years," Fowler wrote on July 8.

An AFC executive told Fowler, "Definitely in decline. He's still very good. But some of the younger players have surpassed him."

Trade speculation isn't driving the conversation in Pittsburgh, though.

Joe Flacco did not forget Watt's 2025 hit

According to Behind the Steel Curtain's Jarrett Bailey, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco reflected on one of Watt's biggest hits while appearing on Netflix's Quarterback series.

Flacco took the hit during Cincinnati's second meeting with Pittsburgh after stepping in for an injured Joe Burrow. The veteran quarterback admitted the play left an impression.

”Man, he f***** me up,” Flacco said. “He knew what he was doing, too… he was like, ‘I’ve got a chance to hit him here. I’m gonna take full advantage.‘”

The Steelers and Bengals will meet again in Weeks 3 and 10 this season.

Watt's future remains one of the biggest topics around the Steelers as training camp approaches.

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Written by

Evince Das

Edited by

Arundhoti Palit