The Pittsburgh Steelers closed out their pre-draft visits this week by bringing in two linebackers in Michigan’s Junior Colson and N.C. State’s Payton Wilson, two players who are considered among the top linebackers in the class. Pittsburgh made a splash by signing Patrick Queen in free agency, but after dealing with injuries and depth issues at the position last season, the Steelers could target it in the draft. During an appearance on The Joe Starkey Show on 93.7 The Fan, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo said the Steelers could look at a linebacker in the third round, and specifically listed Wilson as a name to watch.
“One guy to keep an eye on for inside linebackers, Payton Wilson from N.C. State, long injury history, you’re not gonna take him early, but you got two third-round picks, I kind of look at the third-round guys, that’s kind of a spot where maybe you take a chance on a guy,” he said. “He’s an elite athlete, he played better when he wasn’t injured, but he’s not a guy who’s going to get that medical green light from every team. But if he slips to them, maybe 84 or 98 still on the board, Payton Wilson could be a guy the Steelers take as well.”
Wilson said his medical testing at the Combine went fine, but he does have a lengthy injury history. He had two major knee injuries dating back to high school and also suffered a shoulder injury in college, and that could potentially scare some teams off. But Wilson is a freak athlete who has elite speed, running a 4.43 40-yard dash at 6037 and 233 pounds.
Aaron Curry also made the rounds at three pro days, so the idea of the Steelers drafting a linebacker isn’t hard to fathom, especially considering they brought Wilson and Colson in for pre-draft visits. While Pittsburgh likely won’t target a linebacker in the first two rounds, if one of Wilson or Colson ends up falling into the third, they could be a target for the Steelers to help shore up their depth and give them a potential starter in case of injury or an option at the position in the future.
Elandon Roberts isn’t getting any younger and he had some injury issues last season. Cole Holcomb’s status is unknown after suffering a severe injury in Week 9 last season, and Kwon Alexander is still on the market and coming off a torn Achilles. Getting a young, athletic linebacker to add to the room along with Queen would make it as strong as it’s been in years, and it’s a viable option for the Steelers especially given they have two third-round picks.
We have less than a week until the draft kicks off, and it’ll be very interesting to see how the Steelers address their needs, but don’t be surprised if a linebacker is Pittsburgh’s pick a little earlier than expected.
