Pittsburgh Steelers rookie ILB Payton Wilson reportedly got work with the first-team defense during yesterday’s practice. That is a sight that you should get used to, as should his coaches. They might intend to start him off with sub-package work, which is perfectly reasonable. But once they put him on the field, they’re going to struggle to take him off.
A third-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State, Payton Wilson was one of the best college players in the country last season. He won multiple awards stating as much, but he still fell to the third round. Reportedly, many teams in the league believed that his medicals were too risky to take on, so they passed.
And they passed, and they passed, and then the Steelers pounced after taking two offensive linemen and a wide receiver. Even though they had already spent big on Patrick Queen in free agency, they fixed on Wilson’s talent.
Although he has a concerning injury history, the reality is that Wilson hasn’t missed time the past two years. It’s too soon to claim that will be indicative of what the Steelers can expect from him, but he’s not crumbling before our very eyes, either.
With a great combination of size, speed, and athleticism, Payton Wilson has a complete skill set as an inside linebacker. Last season, for example, he recorded 138 tackles with 17.5 for loss, six sacks, three interceptions, and a forced fumble.
Back in the spring, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin talked about Wilson serving as the Steelers’ dime linebacker this year. In yesterday’s practice, he rotated in with the first-team defense with Elandon Roberts getting some rest.
They asked him to do a little bit of everything, dropping into coverage, blitzing, and he made some plays. He forced a fumble against TE Pat Freiermuth, getting his hand on another ball. Wilson made plays in college, and he is showing that he can do so on the next stage, as well.
Of course, we’re only talking about practice so far, but you know he is going to be fun to watch. The Steelers put the pads on tomorrow and he is going to be at the center of a lot of collisions. Wilson only knows one speed when he plays, and he is already working up to that from OTAs.
I predict that while the Steelers will start off using Payton Wilson in place of Elandon Roberts in some passing situations, they will find it necessary to leave him on the field sooner or later—perhaps sooner rather than later.
He might make some rookie mistakes, but according to his teammates, Wilson has already shown he won’t repeat them. They have had success with rookie starters before like T.J. Watt and Keeanu Benton. Wilson will probably have to wait for a more extensive role, but the coaches won’t have much choice. They will see the film and realize that they have to leave him out there.
