With the No. 98 pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected NC State LB Payton Wilson. If you watched any amount of his tape, or looked into his impressive collection of college accolades, it was a surprising tumble into the late third round of the draft. Some analysts have pretty strongly stated their opinion that he is a first-round talent that slid due to injury concerns with his extensive history.
As head coach Mike Tomlin does with every player, he called Wilson to let him know that he was being selected by the Steelers.
“I just loved the process, man. We got a chance to meet you in Mobile, and then we brought you in here. That’s just how we work,” Tomlin said in a video posted on the Steelers’ website.
The Steelers had Wilson in for a pre-draft visit, but they also spent time with him at the Senior Bowl in late January as one of the first steps in the process. If his meetings with Tomlin and the Steelers were anything like his interviews with the media at the combine, I am sure Tomlin came away impressed, as I was.
Tomlin was asked in his post-draft press conference if he just goes where he wants and talks to whoever he wants in Mobile and said, “pretty much.”
He is one of the most involved coaches in Mobile, often being right in the middle of a drill, and interacting with as many players as possible. He would have gained great exposure to Wilson both on the practice field and in the meetings they hold with teams after practice.
“I wanna make every play,” Wilson told me in Mobile. “If we play 90 snaps, I wanna make 90 tackles and I’m not coming off the field.”
He also talked extensively about his conditioning and nutrition, and was an open book about his injury history and how he feels he has overcome it. He came off very humble, but very focused on football and doing whatever it takes to be the best player he can be.
Wilson had a solid showing at the practices during the Senior Bowl. He landed on Daniel Jeremiah’s top-10 winners from the week of practice. His athleticism was evident as he stuck with running backs and tight ends in the coverage drills really well. He told me anything below a 4.44-second 40-yard dash and he would be happy. He set that goal and accomplished it with a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
“This is, it’s not a lightning strike,” Tomlin told Wilson. “You are our type of guy, and we’re glad it worked out, man. We’re just excited about getting you up here, and the big thing is we just wanna wish congratulations to you and your family.”
He has a great opportunity ahead of him with Cole Holcomb’s status still unknown working his way back from injury. Elandon Roberts isn’t under contract past 2024, so alongside Patrick Queen he has as good a shot as any to be a starter moving forward.
