Message received from Pittsburgh Steelers rookie inside linebacker Payton Wilson. In one of his first interviews since being drafted in the third round, Wilson, who is already in Pittsburgh, appeared on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast during the Steelers’ draft party last Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. And he’s not holding back about the way he wants to play.
“If there’s 75 plays, I’m just the kind of person that wants to make 75 tackles, whatever it is,” he said. “That’s just how I’ve played. Grew up in a very blue-collared area, grew up wrestling. So that mentality’s kind of been instilled in me my whole life. Like, I don’t know, when I’m out there and someone’s got the ball in their hands, I want to hit them so bad. I want to be the first person there every single time.”
Wilson clearly wasted no time getting into town, flying in after being one of the final picks Friday night.
That follows a similar track to what Wilson said on his conference call immediately after becoming the Steelers’ pick. With a lengthy injury history that could’ve ended his football career, Wilson said he approaches each play like it’s his last. Medical concerns dropped him in the draft, and they include two torn ACLs and three shoulder surgeries that have much of the league believing he’s a one-contract player.
Later in the podcast, he said the Steelers defense plays the brand that he grew up watching.
“Even if you go back to the 2010, 2012 Steelers defense, that’s who I am,” he said. “I like to take people’s heads off and I like to fly around with the best of them.”
That should put an even bigger chip on that hopefully healthy shoulder. Wilson has also played the last two years, becoming one of college football’s most productive players. He ended his Wolfpack career with 48 tackles for a loss, 15 sacks, and seven interceptions. At the NFL Scouting Combine, he blazed a 4.43 40 and compiled a 9.89 RAS, an elite figure. Given that he’s played the last two years and Melanie Friedlander wrote there’s no significant risk of re-injury, Wilson could turn into a steal as a selection toward the end of the third round.
Wilson will provide immediate depth and could become a special teams maven, extra important in a year where there should be more kick returns than last season. And there’s no question about his mentality and if he fits with the team.
