The Pittsburgh Steelers are, once again, remaking their inside linebacker room, first making a huge splash in free agency by signing Patrick Queen and now adding the very talented Payton Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. While Wilson slipped into late Day 3, it’s not because of his tape but rather concerns about his durability.
While he’s on the field, he intends to wreak havoc, however, and to do so alongside a somewhat familiar face. At least, Wilson is amply familiar with his new teammate Patrick Queen through his tape sessions, as he told reporters yesterday.
“Lately I’ve actually studied Patrick Queen, who’s gonna be a teammate of mine here soon”, he said, via 93.7 The Fan. “It’s been awesome just to study those guys and other guys, Logan Wilson [who] plays [for] the Bengals. Just his versatility in zone coverage and stuff like that. Just trying to take individual things from different players and try to elevate my game”.
Wilson mentioned studying the great Luke Kuechly before bringing up Queen, who made the All-Pro team in 2023. Those are not bad players to watch, and he’s also looking forward to picking the brain of another teammate.
“Super excited to learn from another guy, Cole Holcomb, who went to UNC, which is a school right down the road”, Wilson said of another linebacker in the Steelers’ room. “Just to know those guys, I’m just [excited] to get there and learn from them”.
Wilson is a North Carolina native who played his college football at NC State. Growing up in the area, I’m sure he followed Holcomb in college. The 24-year-old rookie recorded 402 college tackles, including 48 for loss, with 15 sacks and 7 interceptions. He scored his first and only defensive touchdown last season.
Reportedly, many teams have major concerns about Wilson’s long-term viability. A report during the draft suggested that at least 22 teams believe he’s a “one-contract” player. This marks the second year in a row the Steelers rolled the dice in the third round on such a player, last year being TE Darnell Washington. Obviously, we don’t know how those two work out for the long haul yet.
One thing I do know is that Queen and Wilson are the same age even though Queen’s been in the league for four years already. Queen has 454 career tackles with 37 for loss, 13.5 sacks, 4 interceptions, and 5 forced fumbles. He is coming off his best season, which earned him a handsome contract as an unrestricted free agent.
As for Holcomb, he is recovering from a major injury he suffered last season. Up to the point of his midseason injury, he was a full-time starter. Elandon Roberts is currently penciled in as the starter alongside Queen. However, Payton Wilson figures to compete for playing time, at least, if not a starting job.
