With the 98th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected NC State LB Payton Wilson. The Steelers continue the process of revamping their inside linebacker room after also signing Patrick Queen earlier this offseason.
The Steelers hosted Wilson for a pre-draft visit, and when healthy, he’s a special linebacker. He can be a three-down guy and he has elite speed, running a 4.43 40-yard dash. Widely considered among the top linebackers in the class, Wilson does have some injury concerns as he’s suffered two knee injuries and a shoulder injury dating back to his high school days. At the NFL Scouting Combine though, he said his medical checks weren’t an issue and the Steelers obviously feel comfortable enough with his health to select him.
But as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted during the broadcast, teams were worried about his medicals. Per Rapoport, Wilson had a shoulder surgery that did not go well and does not have an ACL in one of his knees. That appears to have scared some teams off.
Pittsburgh seemed likely to draft an inside linebacker with ILBs Coach Aaron Curry attending three Pro Days this cycle, though Wilson’s school wasn’t one of them. Instead, Wilson was brought in for a visit.
With Cole Holcomb recovering from a serious knee injury and Kwon Alexander still a free agent after suffering a torn Achilles last season, Pittsburgh needed to add more depth to its inside linebacker room. Wilson now likely slots in behind Queen and Elandon Roberts on Pittsburgh’s depth chart, at least until Holcomb gets healthy. If Wilson can stay healthy, he has a lot of potential and the risk could be well worth the reward.
He won the Chuck Bednarik Award in 2023, awarded to the nation’s top linebacker after a season where he had 138 total tackles, six sacks and three interceptions along with six passes defensed. He adds a dynamic element to the middle of Pittsburgh’s defense and could form a really nice long-term tandem with Queen.
Barring a trade (and the third round is almost over), the Steelers are slated to pick again tomorrow at No. 119 overall in the fourth round. They also have a pair of sixth-round picks at No. 178 and No. 195.
Check out our scouting report on Payton Wilson below.
