The Defensive End was a back-up in his first two seasons, and in 2013, he finally became a starter at LDE.  From 2013 to 2015, Heyward was arguably a middle-of-the-road Defensive End, and after a torn pectoral held him to seven Games in 2016, he seemed to have put it all together afterward.

Heyward was a First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2017, where he had 12.0 Sacks and 16 Tackles for Loss.  A Pro Bowler again in 2018, Heyward repeated his Pro Bowl/First Team All-Pro dual honor in 2019 with 83 Tackles, 9.0 Sacks, and a 17 in Approximate Value, which was seventh overall that year.  Heyward was a star again in 2019, going to his second First Team All-Pro, and 2020 saw consecutive Pro Bowl number four.  Hyward continued his late-career run as one of the best Defensive Tackles, with a fifth Pro Bowl and third First Team All-Pro in 2021. The former Buckeye added a sixth straight Pro Bowl last year, and is defying age.

Still a Steeler, Heyward has been a five-year run of greatness, and is rapidly climbing one of the more prestigious top 50 lists we have,