The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed NC State linebacker Payton Wilson to his rookie contract, per the team account on X. Wilson, a third-round pick, was the first defensive player the team selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Wilson’s four-year contract should total out at right around $5,596,312 due to his draft position, per Over The Cap, and include a signing bonus of right around $890,044. Wilson’s cap charge for his rookie 2024 season should come in at right around $1,017,511.
Arguably the most talented off-ball linebacker in this year’s draft class, Wilson was the 98th overall selection of the draft. He fell due to medical concerns, primarily stemming from two ACL tears and three shoulder surgeries. But healthy over his final two seasons, he was dynamic and won the Chuck Bednarik Award for college football’s best linebacker. In 2023, he finished with 138 tackles (17.5 TFL) with six sacks, and three interceptions.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Wilson weighed in at 6037, 233 pounds and ran an eye-popping 4.43 40 with a 34.5-inch vertical. He also attended the Senior Bowl, a common theme of Pittsburgh’s draft picks in this year’s class.
His rookie role is a bit unclear. The team signed Patrick Queen as its every down linebacker while Elandon Roberts returns after a solid first season with the team. Cole Holcomb’s status is uncertain after coming off a severe knee injury and his Week 1 availability isn’t known. At the least, Wilson should dress and make an impact on special teams while also pushing for a rotational or sub-package role defensively and serving as quality depth,
a top-50 talent the team drafted just inside the top 100, he now becomes the fifth draft pick to sign, with Roman Wilson and Ryan Watts signing earlier today on Saturday and Mason McCormick and Logan Lee signing on Friday. The only two remaining to sign their deals are first- and second-round picks Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier. Those could be coming later today or possibly tomorrow while everyone is still in town for minicamp.
