Was J.J. Watt the most dominant defensive player ever in NFL history at his peak?

J.J. Watt recently announced that he will officially retire from his legendary career at the conclusion of the 2022 NFL season with the Arizona Cardinals. He will go down in NFL history as one of the greatest defensive players of this generation and one of the all-time greats. This is especially true at the peak of his career.

While at his best, J.J. Watt dominated like few others ever have in the history of the game. After a relatively decent rookie 2011 season with 5.5 sacks with the Houston Texans, he exploded onto the scene during his second year. He led the NFL that year with an impressive 20.5 sacks. He is one of only 13 players ever to exceed 20 sacks in a single season and the only player ever to do it twice.

J.J. Watt was named the Defensive Player of the Year for his incredible season and started a string of four consecutive seasons where he was one of the best overall players in the entire league. He was selected as a first-team All-Pro for four consecutive years, while also earning three Defensive Player of the Year awards during that time. He twice led the league in sacks, while once finishing in second place for the NFL MVP award.

Unfortunately for J.J. Watt, injuries cut his prime much shorter than it likely would have been. Immediately following his four consecutive years of absolute dominance, injuries forced him to appear in just eight total games over the next two years combined. He would bounce back to record another first-team All-Pro appearance the following year, but he missed half of the next season due to injuries as well.

J.J. Watt hasn't been quite the same since, as he finished out his legendary career with the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals. While his peak is surely one of the most impressive by any defensive player ever, his lack of longevity at the peak is what holds him back from the greatest peak of all time.

If not J.J. Watt, which defensive player had the greatest peak in NFL history?

New York Giants OLB Lawrence Taylor

J.J. Watt is one of only three defensive players in NFL history, along with Lawrence Taylor and Aaron Donald, to be named the Defensive Player of the Year three times. All three players had some of the greatest peaks ever, as well as Reggie White and Ray Lewis. While they all have a case at the top, no defensive player dominated the league quite like Lawrence Taylor during his prime with the New York Giants.

Lawrence Taylor wasted no time making his presence felt in the NFL. He was named the Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in his first year in the league. His rookie season also started a stretch of six consecutive first-team All-Pro selections to begin his career. He earned ten total All-Pro selections.

Taylor helped the Giants win two Super Bowl rings during his legendary career. Further demonstrating his dominance, he was named the NFL MVP for the 1986 season. He joined Alan Page as the only defensive player ever to win the award in league history since the official merger.

While J.J. Watt's peak is among those of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, none of them are quite like Lawrence Taylor's, one of the most dominant players of all time.