Steelers take Wisconsin LB Watt with first-round pick in draft
The Steelers not only got a pass rusher in the first round of the NFL Draft, they picked someone with strong defensive bloodlines.
Wisconsin outside linebacker T.J. Watt, younger brother of three-time NFL defensive player of the year J.J. Watt, was chosen by the Steelers with the No. 30 overall pick.
Watt (6-foot-4, 252 pounds) was a one-year starter at linebacker at Wisconsin after beginning his college career as a tight end before missing his second season with a right knee injury. Healthy as a junior, Watt had 63 tackles (151⁄2 for a loss) and 111⁄2 sacks. He was named first-team All-Big Ten and second-team AP All-American.
Watt, 22, thinks his relative experience on defense can work to his advantage.
"That's my selling point," he said, noting he has spent only 18 months on defense. "I truly am scratching the surface on what I can do, and I feel like the sky is the limit on what I can do on the football field."
Watt and his oldest brother — another brother, Derek, is a fullback for the Los Angeles Chargers — will be reacquainted on Christmas Day in Houston when the Steelers play the Texans.
"It will be weird to be on the same field as J.J. in shoulder pads," Watt said. "I was just thinking about that. I've played with him in the back yard a bunch, I've seen him play a bunch but I've never been on the same field in full uniform competitively before.
"It will be a really cool and weird day for me."
Before announcing Watt as the pick, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell paid tribute to late Steelers chairman Dan Rooney. Hall of Fame running backs Franco Harris and Jerome Bettis were brought to the podium and also paid respects to Rooney.
The Steelers had a need at outside linebacker with James Harrison turning 39 next week and former first-round draft pick Jarvis Jones unable to hold down the starting job before leaving via free agency.
Harrison and 2015 first-rounder Bud Dupree will enter the season as the starters, with Arthur Moats and Anthony Chickillo as backups.
Add Watt to that mix.
"We don't even think he's the complete product at this point," Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said, "and we are excited about where he can go."
Former Pitt football coach Paul Chryst, shortly after returning to his roots at Wisconsin, convinced Watt to switch from tight end to defense. Watt was a backup in 2015, then moved into the starting lineup as a junior.
"It took all of 12 hours, if that," Watt said when asked how long it took him to buy into the switch. "I went home, thought about it, came back and told coach I want to play defense."
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Chryst also had a hand in navigating Watt toward the Steelers. Colbert said he had scouted Watt during a game last season, and he received a text message from Chryst after the season was complete.
Chryst wanted Colbert to evaluate Watt's draft status. Watt was considering declaring for the draft after his junior season.
"I looked at the tape on him and said, 'Coach, this kid is a first-round pick,' " Colbert said.
The Steelers visited with Watt at the NFL Combine and took him to dinner the night before Wisconsin's pro day. In attendance at dinner were Chryst, Colbert, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and linebackers coach Joey Porter. They arrived in Madison after visiting with free-agent linebacker Dont'a Hightower earlier in the day.
Pass rushers Derek Barnett, Charles Harris and Takk McKinley were off the draft board Thursday before the Steelers' turn arrived. They acted quickly to select Watt.
"He's worthy of the pick but, boy, we are excited about the potential upside and growth given the short length of time he's played the position," Tomlin said.
Watt had an idea the Steelers might draft him, particularly when the Green Bay Packers — picking at No. 29 — traded down.
"I knew schematically it was a great fit for me," Watt said of the Steelers. "That's why I was intrigued by them so much."
Joe Rutter is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at jrutter@tribweb.com or via Twitter @tribjoerutter.
