The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most storied histories when it comes to the linebacker position, from Andy Russell to Lawrence Timmons. It is no coincidence that Pittsburgh’s best defenses have been captained by a tough, gritty player at linebacker. Most recently, almost everyone believed Ryan Shazier would be the next great linebacker for the Steelers, but unfortunately, injuries can happen to anyone at any time, cutting Shazier’s career far too short. Since then, the Steelers have struggled to find their quarterback on defense, but according to one former General Manager, they may have finally solved that problem with Payton Wilson.
Michael Lombardi, former General Manager of the Browns and current media analyst, spoke on his show The Lombardi Line recently about the Steelers drafting Payton Wilson in the third round of the NFL draft, pointing to it as a massive steal for Pittsburgh.
”Payton Wilson, the linebacker from North Carolina State, he slid into the third round only because of medical. He doesn’t have an ACL. But this is a kid that’s really what Pittsburgh has been looking for for years. Since they lost Ryan Shazier, they’ve been looking for a Will linebacker that can really run, and this is Wilson. He can do those things. And because of that, they’re gonna be good on defense. He’s gonna play a lot,” Lombardi said about Wilson being the missing piece for the Steelers’ defense. “Pittsburgh’s had a really good draft so far. They’re really good, and if they can get anything out of Russell Wilson, we know Mike Tomlin wins ten games with bad quarterbacks.”
Lombardi isn’t the only person who has that level of opinion about Wilson, as other analysts have pointed to that selection as one of the steals of the draft. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, one of the most respected draft analysts, even had Wilson ranked as his 41st-best player in the entire draft. However, players that good don’t fall to the bottom of the third round for no reason, as Wilson has some serious medical concerns and was taken off many team’s boards because of those issues.
The draft is all about taking swings at players, though. You can’t hit a home run if you don’t swing the bat, and at the end of the third round, you can certainly take some swings. Just take a look at the team’s third-round picks in the past few years. Kendrick Green didn’t work out at all. DeMarvin Leal has struggled to find a place on the team. The jury is still out on Darnell Washington, another player who fell in the draft due to medical concerns. The point is that third-round picks aren’t always Pro Bowl players, and taking one who has that level of upside is worth the medical risks.
Fans shouldn’t expect Wilson to be Shazier immediately when he steps on the field, he brings a level of speed and athleticism to the table that the team has been longing for since the loss of Shazier. With Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts in place too, and potentially Cole Holcomb if he manages to rehab and bounce back from his injury well enough, there’s no need to rush Wilson on the field.
Allowing him to learn from some of the veterans in the locker room and gain more playing time as the year goes on may be the best thing for him. Either way, there’s potential oozing from each of Wilson’s pores, and hopefully it can materialize into the type of field general every great defense needs.
