The Pittsburgh Steelers closed out Day 2 of the draft by selecting NC State LB Payton Wilson with the No. 98 overall selection, and Wilson could be a dynamic addition to Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker room. The Steelers focused on revamping their room this offseason by signing Patrick Queen, and by adding Wilson with the second of their two third-round picks, the Steelers are committing to solidifying the center of their defense.
In a conference call with Pittsburgh reporters, Wilson described how he’s going to fit in with Pittsburgh’s defense and his style of play.
“I think that just my versatility kind of speaks for itself. I think I’m able to play in the box as well as drop into coverage. Just growing up, watching the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, that’s kind of the way that I modeled the way I play. Just hard and fast and physical and playing as tough as you can play,” Wilson said via 93.7 The Fan.
Wilson has overcome a number of injuries in recent seasons, and because of that, he said he’s someone who plays with his “hair on fire” for every snap.
“I think when you turn on my tape you can kind of see that I play with my hair on fire, and I think that’s truly because of what I’ve been through and really kind of just understanding that you can’t take this game for granted ’cause no one in the world knows when that last snap is gonna be,” he said.
Wilson won the Chuck Bednarik Award in 2023, awarded to the nation’s top defensive player, and that hair-on-fire mentality is evident when you watch him. He’s a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker who also excels in coverage (he had seven career interceptions at NC State) and is an adept blitzer, as he had 15 career sacks for the Wolfpack, with six of those coming last season. While he’ll likely slot in behind Elandon Roberts and Queen in Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker rotation (pending the health of Cole Holcomb), it wouldn’t be a surprise for Wilson to see a solid number of snaps, even as a rookie.
Injuries are obviously going to be a concern with Wilson, but the Steelers were comfortable enough with his medicals to take him late in the third round, and he’s a player who could be a major steal if he’s able to stay healthy. It’s the second year in a row the Steelers have taken a player who fell further than expected due to injuries — they also selected TE Darnell Washington in the third round last season — and the team has evidently decided the risk with Wilson is worth the potential reward.
We’ll see Wilson hit the field for the first time in two weeks at rookie minicamp, and hopefully he’ll be able to stay healthy and have a productive rookie season for the Steelers.
