PFF Awards 2024: T.J. Watt wins Best Run Defender

• One of the best run-defense grades in the NFL: T.J. Watt's 91.4 run-defense grade through 17 games ranks second in the league among defenders who have played at least 500 snaps, behind only Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton. However, because Watt has to navigate 300-plus-pound behemoths often, his mark is slightly more impressive.

• Rarely making a mistake: Watt's 3.2% negatively graded play rate against the run is among the lowest of any box defender (excluding safeties and cornerbacks) with at least 300 snaps.

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PFF's award winners are selected through a voting process exclusive to 28 senior analysts, contributors and members of the PFF staff, ensuring the decisions reflect the insights and expertise of those deeply involved in the game.

This year’s Best Run Defender is T.J. Watt, who earned 18 votes to claim the honor. The runner-up was Bobby Wagner with seven votes, while Jordyn Brooks rounded out the top three with three votes.

To view all 2024 award winners, click here.

Interestingly enough, the NFL's best run defender is someone who has earned much more acclaim as a pass-rusher. But don't get it twisted; Pittsburgh Steelers edge defender T.J. Watt is the preeminent dominant force against opposing ground games.

Watt's 91.4 run-defense grade through 17 games ranks second in the league among defenders who have played at least 500 snaps, behind only Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton. However, because Watt has to navigate 300-plus-pound behemoths often, his mark is slightly more impressive. Watt's 30 tackles (14 for loss or no gain), 24 stops, two forced fumbles and 1.63-yard average depth of tackle illustrate his down-to-down effectiveness against the run, but they don't paint the entire picture as to why he's so impactful in that facet of play.

T.J. Watt: PFF Metrics and percentile rank at the position

For all the tackles and stops Watt has accumulated this year, his impact extends past plays where he is the one to ultimately bring down the ball carrier. Whether it's his early penetration that forces a running back to change course into the teeth of Pittsburgh's defense or his ability to occupy multiple blocks to help keep the Steelers' second-level defenders clean as they pursue the ball carrier, Watt's gravity as a run defender makes everything easier of the rest of Pittsburgh's defense.

Moreover, Watt's ability to avoid negative plays against the run is just as valuable to Pittsburgh's defense. Defending the run is similar to pass protection in that it only takes one player not doing his job for the opposing team to find considerable success. If one defender voids his gap responsibility while everyone else does their job, the offense still has a good shot to make notable positive gains.

That’s a rarity for Watt, whose 3.2% negatively graded play rate against the run is among the lowest of any box defender (excluding safeties and cornerbacks) with at least 300 snaps. The only player close to that mark is Harold Landry III, but Landry's positively graded play rate against the run falls nearly six percentage points short of Watt's. Watt is particularly dominant against zone runs, as he's accumulated a league-best 10 tackles for loss or no gain against inside and outside zone runs.

Whether they were running at or away from him, TJ Watt was a terror vs run for the #Patriots

Pharaoh Brown had a strong rep to nearly seal the game, but Watt easily discarded TEs, slipped pullers, had a couple wins vs Onwenu, and capitalized on a missed block after a late shift pic.twitter.com/Zi1SCvnbIM

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) December 8, 2023

Watt does an excellent job taking on and discarding blocks around the line of scrimmage, which enables him to not only remain gap-sound but also make plays behind or around the line of scrimmage. 

this is where not using things like bootlegs and other controller plays hurts you in the run game.

TJ Watt isn't threatened to have to keep his backside discipline because the Falcons have not (and will not) run any play action so far in this game. pic.twitter.com/e2rYDw4onM

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) September 11, 2024

Unfortunately for NFL offenses, Watt's prowess against zone runs extends when offenses run away from him, as he is one of the most ferocious backside chase defenders in the entire NFL, blazing down the line of scrimmage to stop running backs looking to run outside zone. Watt's prowess against the run isn't anything new. Since entering the league in 2017, Watt's cumulative 91.5 run-defense grade ranks in the 94th percentile among NFL edge defenders. So, while he's been the NFL's best run defender this year, don't be surprised if he continues to dominate this award for years to come.