Player: ILB Payton Wilson
Stock Value: Even
Reasoning: Stock Down would be far too drastic, but Payton Wilson showed some rookie moments during his NFL debut. It was an otherwise fine performance with some moments of real quality, but he has work to do. The fact that he played so much is promising, and his instincts and speed are apparent. He will be on the field sooner rather than later, but not as an every-down starter until he grows more.
I can’t say that I came away impressed from rookie ILB Payton Wilson’s debut. Part of that is due to high expectations, which are deserved for a player whom coaches discuss as a contributor. But I certainly didn’t see anything on Friday that gave me pause or concerned me.
On the whole, Payton Wilson looked like the Payton Wilson that one might expect. You can see his natural talent and football instincts, but he is still a young player who is learning. He did a commendable job given his extensive playing time in his first NFL game.
So Stock Even might feel like a cop-out, but I really feel that summarizes the game for him. He basically did more or less exactly what I think many people expected him to do. Perhaps they didn’t foresee him missing two tackles, but things happen. Ryan Shazier missed plenty of tackles, after all, and nothing indicates that this will be a chronic issue.
One thing I think that we can take away from the first preseason game is that the Steelers are serious about playing Payton Wilson right away, albeit in a sub-package. They have been talking about him as a dime defender for months now, and he looks up to the task.
But the Steelers still have Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts, so there is no need to push him. He can start off in a smaller role, and as he gains comfort, confidence, and experience, he can earn more playing time. I don’t think anybody would be surprised if Wilson passed Roberts on the depth chart at some point this year, but it’s not going to happen right way.
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.
