The Pittsburgh Steelers’ selection of NC State LB Payton Wilson with the No. 98 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has drawn rave reviews, and one person who was a big fan of the pick immediately was NFL analyst Brian Baldinger.
During an appearance on 93.7 The Fan Tuesday, Baldinger expanded on his thoughts on Wilson and said that if he didn’t have injury concerns, he would’ve been a top-20 pick in the draft — and considered to be the same caliber of prospect as Roquan Smith.
“I just think he’s a very unique player, from his size to his range to his speed. And when he gets there, he smacks you hard,” Baldinger said. “I know he’s had the injuries and you’ve got to consider that, but if he didn’t have some of the injuries that he had, I mean started high school with a torn ACL, but if he didn’t have the injuries, he’s a top-20 pick and right up there with how we evaluated Roquan Smith and some of the top-level inside linebackers.”
That’s obviously high praise from Baldinger, and Smith, now with the Baltimore Ravens, has ascended into one of the best defensive players of the league. He’s a six-time All-Pro at inside linebacker, and it becomes a little bit of an interesting comparison when you consider that this season Wilson will be playing alongside Patrick Queen, who was Smith’s partner at inside linebacker for the last season and a half.
It’s not fair to expect Wilson to be on the same level as Smith, but his traits mean it’s possible he has an extremely high ceiling. After measuring in at 6037 and 233 pounds, Wilson ran a 4.43 40-yard dash, and that speed shows up on tape. He won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive player in college football last season after posting 138 tackles, three interceptions, six passes defensed and six sacks, along with a defensive touchdown.
Payton Wilson’s medicals are the reason he fell, as he reportedly doesn’t have an ACL and has had previous knee and shoulder injuries. Melanie Friedlander detailed Wilson’s history of injuries in a must-read article, and the promising news is that he’s had a clean bill of health over the last two years and there is no significant risk of re-injury given the type of injuries he’s suffered. Even with the injury risk though, the value of taking Wilson at No. 98 is tremendous, and he could wind up being a key long-term piece to help re-establish Pittsbuegh’s inside linebacker room as one that’s dominant, along with Queen.
For the second year in a row, there’s a good vibe surrounding the Steelers coming out of the draft, and it doesn’t sound like Omar Khan is finished adding significant pieces to this roster. Buckle up, because it’s going to be a busy month in Pittsburgh.
