One of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ most intriguing draft picks was NC State LB Payton Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and so far, Wilson has impressed his teammates. Wilson said he’s trying to be a sponge to soak up information, and that’s exactly how Patrick Queen described him for the way he’s soaking up information. Queen said that with what Wilson’s been doing and the traits that he has, he could be a “great player” in the NFL.
“He’s been a sponge. He’s soaking up everything he can. He’s asking a whole bunch of questions, sometimes too many questions. He overthinking some stuff, but that’s how you’re supposed to be as a rookie. You’re supposed to get as much knowledge as you can, and the way he plays is super strong, super fast. So when you got every trait that he got and what he’s doing, he should be a great player,” Queen said via 93.7 The Fan on Twitter.
#Steelers LB Patrick Queen believes rookie LB Payton Wilson should be a great player pic.twitter.com/d2zZJahmXf
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) July 28, 2024
Wilson may have been the most talented inside linebacker in his draft class, but injury concerns caused him to fall to the third round. If not for the injury concerns, he could’ve potentially pushed his way into the first round, but Pittsburgh wound up snagging him toward the end of the third.
The Steelers have been weak at inside linebacker in the past. Even though they improved the room last season, injuries put them in a precarious spot late in the year. Pittsburgh signed Queen this offseason to bolster the room, and by drafting Wilson, they may have added their long-term inside linebacker duo in one offseason.
The key for Wilson will be to stay healthy, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get opportunities as early as this season. Wilson’s speed and coverage ability mean he can be used in dime packages, which may be his ticket to getting on the field in the early weeks of the season. Outside of Queen, the Steelers still have Elandon Roberts and Cole Holcomb, although Holcomb is currently on PUP and may not be ready for the start of the season. That could open up the door for Wilson to see more opportunities as well.
If Payton Wilson does develop into the player that Queen thinks he can be, that’ll be huge for Pittsburgh and the future of their defense. So far, the early reports on Wilson from his teammates have been positive, and he’s a player I’m really excited to see play this season and develop into a potential future starter.
