The pick is in.
The 2024 NFL Draft is Omar Khan’s second year as the Pittsburgh Steelers general manager and like in past years we want to evaluate the value of each pick. Based on projections for each player by draft outlets as well as our own reports, we want to see if the pick’s value is above or below how the player was ranked coming into the draft.
Round 3 (Pick 98) – North Carolina State LB Payton Wilson
Heading into this selection you had to think it was going to go in one of two directions. Either defensive back or linebacker. There were multiple players the Steelers could have taken, and they went with linebacker Payton Wilson.
Daniel Jeremiah had him ranked 41st in his Top 150 and on the NFL Network draft telecast Friday said he would be “a first-round pick if healthy.” He also had this to say, “Wilson is a height/weight/speed linebacker with excellent instincts and playmaking ability. He has the tools to play stacked in the box or as the hole defender in space. Against the pass, he is fluid in his zone drops. He relies on his eyes to jump routes and get his hands on the ball. He has the speed/agility to mirror backs and tight ends. To see his ball skills and playmaking ability, check out his pick-six against Clemson. Against the run, he uses his length to stack and shed blocks. His hands are strong and violent. He is quick to key, read and flow to the ball. He is a firm chest-up tackler with a high batting average. The major concern with Wilson is durability. He’s suffered a multitude of injuries during his career, but he’s always managed to come back and play at a high level.”
Lance Zierlein’s profile of Wilson at NFL.com had him rated as the No. 2 inside linebacker and gave him a 6.32 grade (Will Eventually Be Plus Starter). He opined, “Wilson’s length and athletic profile could certainly push him up the board for some teams, but his history with injuries could tamp down his draft stock. He’s free flowing in pursuit and is at his best as a run-and-hit hunter rather than a static defender faced with a downhill blocker. He has the burst to shoot downhill and make a tackle for loss but lacks the demeanor or play strength to consistently leverage run fits. Wilson will find himself near the football frequently when allowed to play freely and avoid the mess in the middle. He has third-down ability as a blitzer and is a talented cover man who can play zone or man coverage. Wilson has early starting potential, but scheme fit and medical reports will play a big role in his evaluation.”
Dane Brugler had him listed 88th overall in his Top 300 and in his draft guide, The Beast. He was the No. 4 inside linebacker. His profile states, “A four-year starter, Wilson played weakside linebacker in defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s 3-3-5 stack scheme. After returning for a sixth year in Raleigh, he put together his most complete season in 2023 with 11.5 tackles per game (fifth best in the FBS) and cleaned up on the award circuit, taking home the Butkus (nation’s top linebacker) and Chuck Bednarik (nation’s top defensive player) awards (first in NC State history to win either honor). Against run or pass, Wilson is quick to trigger (downhill and laterally) and has some impressive GPS numbers for both his speed and the ground covered on plays. Although he is an average take-on player and can be late escaping blocks, he never shuts it down and competes with the “every play could be my last” mentality. Overall, Wilson’s medicals will be a key factor in his final grade, but he is a rangy and instinctive player who impacts the game in different ways, because of his effort and toughness. His four-down potential will separate him from most linebacker prospects.”
CBSSports.com had Wilson as the 62nd player on its board and the No. 2 inside linebacker. “Payton Wilson is a tall, highly athletic LB. Fastest trigger of any LB in the class: acceleration + pure speed. Change of direction is above-average for the position. Short arms really hurt him defeating blocks. Effort is there, just almost always must deal with blockers getting into his pads. Flashes as a blitzer. Reads keys quickly and flexibility as an athlete allow him to dip/avoid blockers at times. Plus coverage ability that comes from athletic gifts and loads of experience. Zone drops are smooth. Very aware of common route concepts behind him and will make plays on the football. Was deployed in space often in college. Great tackling reliability. Overall, Wilson is a new-age LB prospect with upside despite his older age.”
Our profile on Wilson by Jonathan Heitritter gave him an 8.2 grade (Future Quality Starter, 2nd Round). He compared him to Leighton Vander Esch and analyzed his play by saying, “There’s a lot to like about Payton Wilson’s game and what he brings to a defense. The guy has excellent size, athleticism, and instinctiveness, and those qualities pop off the screen when you watch him operate as a run defender, pass rusher, and pass-coverage defender. The big cloud hanging over Wilson and his prospects of getting drafted early is his medical, which has numerous red flags on it dating back to high school. Multiple knee and shoulder surgeries aren’t what you want to see in a prospect who plays a physical position like inside linebacker, putting into question how durable Wilson will be when he gets to the league.”
Overall, this is one of those cases in which the key phrase is “if healthy.” Wilson has had a rough injury history but always came back and played well. You can see from these reports he has a ton of talent and was ranked highly across the board. He could be the athletic linebacker that the Steelers have needed for years. They obviously felt his medicals were good enough to take a chance. This pick gets a very good value grade based on talent and potential.
If healthy.
