The Pittsburgh Steelers went into the 2024 NFL Draft with one thing on their minds – improve the offensive line. And they did just that, double dipping in the first two rounds with the selections of Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier. However, this didn’t completely prevent them from getting talent on the defensive side of the ball. They had two third-round picks, and after going offense again with Roman Wilson, they took North Carolina State LB Payton Wilson with the latter selection.
Falling down draft boards due to medical concerns, Wilson was lauded as one of the bigger steals in the draft due to his extreme athleticism relative to other linebackers. He’s gained many believers going into training camp and the 2024 season.
One of those believers is NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who recently released his list of top ten Defensive Rookie of the Year candidates, placing Wilson 9th.
“I remember thinking Shaquille (formerly Darius) Leonard had a real shot as a dark-horse Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate back in 2018 because of his ability to impact games and pile up stats in so many categories,” Zierlein said. “By the end of that season, Leonard was named DROY and first-team All-Pro. I’m not predicting Wilson will receive the same accolades, but the long, rangy linebacker consistently produced the same type of high-impact stats in college that Leonard did when he was coming into the league. While the Steelers have good depth and established veteran leadership at inside linebacker, don’t be surprised if Wilson finds his way onto the field.”
Wilson was the only rookie not selected in the first two rounds and one of just three non-first-rounders to crack the list. The other two, Philadelphia Eagle Cooper DeJean and Green Bay Packer Edgerrin Cooper, were early second-round picks.
The case against Wilson, and the likely reason he isn’t higher on this list, is playing time. He will be behind Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts, and Mike Tomlin makes his rookies earn every snap, at least early on. Even if he’s effective when he does play, he’ll need to put up major stats to receive this award.
But that leads to the positives and the reason he has a chance. As Zierlein said, when he does play, he will be a threat to rack up gaudy numbers. He seemingly has a nose for the ball to generate a lot of tackles, and he has the athleticism to force turnovers.
Wilson’s exciting play will also boost his name. The first time he chases down an NFL running back in the open field, you better believe it will be all over Twitter within the minute. Fair or not, that stuff matters when trying to win an award like this.
