- With the 30th pick: The Steelers selected Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Watt with the 30th overall pick in the draft, a player General Manager Kevin Colbert is excited about, including his upside as he is still young on the defensive side of the ball, having made the switch from tight end to linebacker.
"It's always exciting to get that first pick, and T.J. Watt is somebody we've had our eye on since the early fall," said General Manager Kevin Colbert. "We are excited to get him. This kid is a solid football player that is really only scratching the surface as a defensive player. We don't even think he is a complete product at this point, but we are excited about where he can go."
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Merry Christmas:** Watt, who finished the 2016 season with 63 tackles, 15.5 for loss, and 11.5 sacks, is the younger brother of Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. And for the first time ever the two will play in a game against each other when the Texans host the Steelers on Christmas Day.
"It will be weird to be on the same field as J.J. in shoulder pads," said Watt. "I played with him in the backyard a bunch. I have seen him play a bunch. We have never been on the same field in full uniforms competitively before. That will be a really cool and weird day for me."
On his own: While Watt has learned a lot from his older brother, he wants people to know that he is his own person, and that he plans on making the name T.J. Watt just as recognizable.
"Everybody knows me as J.J. Watt's younger brother, but people don't know the little things that I do, the work ethic, the countless hours of film, getting the right amount of sleep, treating myself like a professional athlete while I was still in college," said Watt. "I learned so much from J.J. and have been able to translate that to myself. I don't think people know who I am at this point because I have been in such a big shadow. That is why I can't wait to come to Pittsburgh and be my own person."
