Bill Cowher ranks his top-5 Steelers defensive players of all-time: Where T.J. Watt lands on the list

Bill Cowher is perhaps more qualified than anyone when it comes to ranking Pittsburgh Steelers. Cowher, a former Steelers Hall of Fame coach and current CBS Sports NFL analyst, was recently tasked with ranking the top-five defensive players in Steelers history. 

Cowher admitted that it was tough task, and it’s easy to see why. The Steelers have had a host of all-time great defenders, including several whom Cowher himself coached. Here’s a look at Cowher’s rankings, what he said about each pick and a few other tidbits about each player. 

5. S Troy Polamalu (2003-14) 

Cowher’s take: “This guy created havoc. I’ve never seen a guy make more plays and do more things that can disrupt an offense.” 

It’s somewhat surprising that Polamalu is this “low” on the list. But Polamalu did make the list, after all, over several other deserving players that include Hall of Fame linebackers Jack Ham and Jack Lambert. As Cowher alluded to, Polamalu was a unique player who made a mess of many offensive game plans. Polamalu’s signature play was his pick-six that clinched Pittsburgh’s 2008 AFC title game win over Baltimore. 

4. OLB T.J. Watt (2017-present) 

Cowher’s take: “This guy’s on an all-time pace. … He’s led the league in sacks three out of the last four years.” 

Watt is certainly on a record-breaking pace. He’s 1.5 sacks away from becoming the third player in league history to reach 100 career sacks before turning 30. And like Polamalu, Watt has a NFL Defensive Player of the Year award to his credit. 

3. CB Mel Blount (1970-83) 

Cowher’s take: “He’s a four-time Super Bowl-winner. Changed the game as a cornerback.”

Cowher is spot-on regarding Blount’s place in NFL history. A physically-imposing defensive back, the NFL enforced rules restricting a defensive back’s contact with a receiver with Blount in mind. Despite the rule change, Blount and the Steelers continued to play at a high level; Blount had a pick in that year’s Super Bowl as Pittsburgh became the first franchise to win three Super Bowls. 

2. CB Rod Woodson (1987-96) 

Cowher’s take: “The best defensive player I ever coached is Rod Woodson. I put him on offense. He returned puts. He did it all and made plays.” 

Many forget that Woodson was an elite return man during his years with the Steelers. He was also the league’s best cornerback who routinely made house calls after corraling interceptions. In 1995, Woodson became the first player in NFL history to return to play in the same season that saw him suffer a major knee injury. Woodson played in Super Bowl XXX after tearing his ACL in Week 1. 

1. DT Joe Greene (1969-81) 

Cowher’s take: “Two-time Defensive Player of the Year. … He means everything to Pittsburgh. He exemplifies what a Steeler is.” 

There was really no one else Cowher could have picked here. Considered the greatest player in franchise history, Greene provided a much-needed spark to the Steelers almost immediately after coming to Pittsburgh. Greene helped spearhead a new culture in Pittsburgh, which was a perennial loser before he arrived.

Nearly impossible to block with one defender in his early years, Greene was the leader of a record-setting defense that led the Steelers to four Super Bowl wins over a six-year span.