T.J. Watt Drafted by Steelers, Will Meet Brother JJ Watt on Christmas Day

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Wisconsin Badgers linebacker T.J. Watt with the 30th overall selection of the 2017 NFL draft.

Watt reacted to his selection on Twitter:

Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, running back Le'Veon Bell and defensive end Cam Heyward welcomed their new teammate

Panther Prey's Chris Dokish is excited to think of how Watt will help the Steelers defense:

Watt is the brother of Houston Texans star JJ Watt and Los Angeles Chargers fullback Derek Watt, both of whom also attended Wisconsin. JJ is looking forward to Houston and Pittsburgh's Christmas Day game:

Derek also congratulated his younger brother:

While some may shy away from the spotlight that comes with being JJ's brother, T.J. said in March he sees their relationship as an advantage, per Arnie Stapleton of the Associated Press:

"

Early on when J.J. first started blowing up, I didn't know how to handle it, but now definitely I love it. My brother is the best defensive player to ever play the game, in my opinion. When you play the sport of football and you have the person as your role model a phone call, a text away, it's special. And he does it so well and so right. I'm just trying to replicate what he does.

"

Watt didn't have a promising start to his college career. After redshirting in 2013, he missed the entire 2014 season due to a knee injury.

A move from tight end to outside linebacker ahead of the 2015 season proved to be a blessing. Watt finished that year with only eight tackles in 13 games but exploded in 2016. He led the team with 15.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.

The NFL compared T.J. to JJ shortly after the NFL Scouting Combine:

Expecting T.J. to have an impact in the NFL similar to that of his older brother is unrealistic—something that can be said of almost any edge-rusher coming out of college. One of the best defensive players in the league, JJ Watt sets an incredibly high standard to reach.

Even if his career fails to approach that of his brother, T.J. should carve out a nice role for himself in the NFL.

Watt's relative inexperience at the college level can be both a positive and a negative.

Since he was only a one-year starter with the Badgers, there isn't a lot of game film from which to evaluate his ability. With that said, it's impossible to ignore the strides Watt made in just two years of playing outside linebacker.

If he can progress far enough to warrant a first-round selection in the draft in two seasons of college ball, he should only continue to get better as he works with NFL coaches.

Watt is a skilled defender who can be an asset against both the run and pass. He should be a great value pick for Pittsburgh at the end of the first round.

Jarvis Jones ended his underwhelming tenure in the Steel City by signing with the Arizona Cardinals. 

Even assuming Bud Dupree seamlessly fills the void left by Jones, the Steelers also have to worry about a long-term replacement for James Harrison, who turns 39 in May.

With Dupree and Harrison seemingly locked in as Pittsburgh's starters at outside linebacker, Watt can take a limited role in the defense as he adjusts to the NFL. In a few years, he could take over for Harrison.

Should Dupree's strong second half in 2016 be a mirage, then Watt may even replace him when Dupree's contract ends after the 2018 season.