Player: ILB Payton Wilson
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The Pittsburgh Steelers are talking up the rookie inside linebacker heading into training camp. From the sounds of it, Payton Wilson could have a defensive role as early as the season opener. Drafted in the third round, he slid because most of the league feared he would have a short career due to medicals. If there are grounds for those fears, of course, then it only makes sense to get him on the field sooner.
There isn’t much on a football field that Payton Wilson can’t do as an inside linebacker. And there doesn’t seem to be much that he isn’t willing to do, by the same token. The “problem” is, the wants to do everything. He wants to be an every-down linebacker; he wants to make all of the plays on every snap.
That’s a problem because he finds himself in a position in which he has to work his way up. The Steelers have starting linebackers in Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts. Cole Holcomb could potentially return as well. That leaves Payton Wilson out in the cold for most of the work.
But the Steelers are talking about him and doing so openly. For example, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin talked about Wilson having a shot at playing dime linebacker. He has the speed, strength, and coverage ability, if they let him do it.
A third-round draft pick out of NC State, Wilson was one of the most dominant defenders in college football last year. The only reason he fell to late in the third round is because teams had concerns about his medicals. Reportedly, the majority of the league feared he would only last one contract before his body gave out. Specifically, teams were primarily concerned with his knee and the state of his ACL.
The Steelers have made clear time and again, though, that they are comfortable with Wilson’s medicals. They are not, at least publicly, viewing him as a player with a time limit. But even if that’s true, they seem to want to get the timer started. It will begin in the dime, but he could be in the starting lineup come December.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
