The Pittsburgh Steelers did not draft a defender until their fourth selection, the 98th-overall pick in the third round, ILB Payton Wilson, out of North Carolina State. The Wolfpack standout dominated college football last season, winning back the Butkus and Chuck Bednarik Awards. That, combined with strong Combine numbers, make it difficult to explain how he lasted until the third round.
Of course, we know why Wilson fell. Reportedly, most of the league believes he is a one-contract player because of medical concerns. The Steelers claim not to share those concerns, going so far as to say they wouldn’t have drafted him otherwise. But we won’t know who’s right for years to come, and in the meantime, when and how much does he play? Many like the pick for the value, but what is the end game?
“Payton Wilson is one of my favorite players in the class,” Field Yates said on The Athletic Football Show podcast. “It’s such an interesting process doing pre-draft rankings. I put a ton of stock into how Dane [Brugler] sizes these guys up, and Dane was much more in the range of where Payton ended up going”.
Brugler, the house scout of sorts for The Athletic, ranked Wilson lower based on his tape than most would. Brian Baldinger, for example, called him a top-20 talent minus health concerns. Either way, his future will say much about this draft class, Yates believes.
“I had him higher on my board. I was more impressed by the film—which is fine, by the way. It’s good to have healthy debate within the draft discourse,” he said. “But I think that one is the fulcrum player in this draft [class].”
The Steelers used their first two picks on T Troy Fautanu and C Zach Frazier, who most expect to start. In the third round, they added WR Roman Wilson, a position with thin depth. The Steelers have Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts at inside linebacker, but they saw Wilson’s talent as too good to pass up.
If they can get a high-quality starter out of Payton Wilson in the third round, that’s a big win. Even if he doesn’t have a 10-year career, the Steelers have lacked quality play from that position for too long. They’ve had a revolving door there since the days of Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier.
“I feel really good about those first three guys being legitimate contributors, maybe all as rookies as well,” Yates said about the top of the Steelers’ class. “Payton Wilson’s just a fascinating player to me. Legitimate 4.43 speed.”
During his final collegiate season, Wilson recorded 138 tackles, including 17.5 TFLs. He also registered six sacks, three interceptions, and a forced fumble. It’s no surprise he won so many accolades. He’s played injury-free for the past two seasons, as well, perhaps fueling the Steelers’ comfort in his more long-term prospects. Still, even assuming he’s healthy, he’s also already 24 years old. Patrick Queen is only about eight months older, going into his fifth season.
