Safe to say, former North Carolina State linebacker and now Pittsburgh Steelers rookie Payton Wilson was a major problem in college.
Shocking, I know.
The former North Carolina State standout won the Butkus and Bednarik awards in 2023 for the nation’s best linebacker and best defender, thanks to a monster season. In his final season with with the Wolfpack, Wilson recorded 138 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, three interceptions and one touchdown, dominating in his final season from start to finish.
Despite that dominance, Wilson fell to the third round at No. 98 overall to the Steelers, in large part due to injury concerns.
But if he can stay healthy, he might be the steal of the draft.
One Atlantic Coast Conference offensive coordinator believes he can have a long career. In a piece for ESPN.com, that ACC offensive coordinator told ESPN Senior Writer Adam Rittenberg that Wilson was “different” and a guy who really opened eyes when they had to prepare to play the Wolfpack.
“Of all the guys we played, he was like, ‘Holy s—, he’s different,'”the ACC offensive coordinator said to Rittenberg, according to ESPN.com. “That dude has such a relentless motor, and he’s long. If he can stay healthy, that kid will play for a long, long time.”
Health is the biggest question with Wilson. That much is very well known at this point.
During his final year of high school and then early in his tenure in Raleigh, Wilson had two major knee injuries. He also suffered a major shoulder injury. But Wilson was able to stay healthy the last two seasons and put up that dominant 2023 season. The concerns with Wilson’s health is more long-term, which had 22 teams reportedly believing Wilson is just a one-contract player.
The Steelers jumped at the opportunity to get him in the third round though, landing arguably the best linebacker in the class based on tape alone. He moved at a different speed on tape compared to other linebackers, and that showed up when he clocked a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Wilson has great size and athleticism, too, and should be able to contribute in Pittsburgh right away. He has stated he wants to fly around and rip people’s heads off, which will endear him to the fan base rather quickly in the Steel City. That relentless motor the ACC offensive coordinator talked about will come in handy there, as will the size and length.
If Wilson can stay healthy, look out. It might be the steal of the draft, one that Steelers GM Omar Khan can stake his reputation on for a bit as the GM that took the chance and was rewarded.
