Alex Highsmith told reporters yesterday that rookie Payton Wilson reminds him of himself as a rookie, which is a good thing. That’s because Highsmith reminded me and others of T.J. Watt as a rookie, and that turned out pretty well. While all concerned are Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers, Wilson plays off the ball. But, Highsmith feels, he has a similar approach to the game, which should serve him well.
“A guy like Payton, I think he’s gonna be great for us. He kind of reminds me of myself when I came in as a rookie”, Highsmith said of Payton Wilson yesterday, via the team’s website. “He’s more of a quiet guy, but he’s coming in and he’s putting his head down and he’s getting to work, and I feel like that’s how I was as a rookie. Also, being from North Carolina as well, he’s got that work ethic”.
Anybody who has been around long enough probably agrees with this observation, too. Watt, Highsmith, and Wilson all share a seriousness of intention and confidence in their abilities with humility for the job. These are lunchpail guys who know the work they need to put in and go about doing it.
The Steelers drafted T.J. Watt in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was already a star by the time Alex Highsmith came along in the third round in 2020. The duo makes up the greatest pair of pass rushers currently in the league, and they want the same inside. Payton Wilson, a 2024 third-round pick, has the potential to develop into a foundational piece inside.
Like Highsmith, though, Wilson is starting from the back and working his way up. Watt began his career as a starter, though he had to earn the job, as the Steelers had James Harrison to fall back on. They never did, and now he’s a four-time should-be Defensive Player of the Year (one-time winner).
Highsmith entered the starting lineup on a full-time basis in his second season in 2021 after the team lost Bud Dupree in free agency. He started at the end of the year due to Dupree injuring his knee, though, giving the team a preview.
As for Payton Wilson, defensive coordinator Teryl Austin already suggested he is up for a dime role. And that’s just to start; my surmise is that the coaches will have a problem keeping him off the field. Yes, they signed Patrick Queen in free agency and they still have Elandon Roberts. But if Wilson is the player he looks like he could be, you’re going to want him running around. After all, he goal is to be on the field every snap making every single play.
The Steelers would be very happy to get in Payton Wilson an Alex Highsmith for the inside linebacker room. Even better if Patrick Queen proves to be the T.J. Watt—or even another Highsmith. He seems to fit right into that room—though he may want to crack an extra smile or two. Perhaps he’ll show more of his personality, if he has one, in year two, as guys like Watt, Highsmith, and David DeCastro did in the past.
