Pittsburgh Steelers rookie linebacker Payton Wilson had a solid NFL debut, the only one of the team’s three “Wilsons” to suit up in the team’s preseason opener. Josh Carney did a great job highlighting his game, including the football justice of making a tackle for loss on the first play of his preseason career. Falling in the draft with teams scared of his medical history, Wilson was flying around the field throughout the game.
But what stuck out the most wasn’t any individual rep or play. What was most impressive was his snap count. Wilson played 57 snaps Friday night against the Houston Texans, more than any Steeler on either side of the ball. Most of those snaps came defensively, 44 of them, but he played another 13 on special teams, a starter on the opening kick return and punt coverage teams. Defensively, he started the game and didn’t exit until the fourth quarter began.
Wilson was one of just three Steelers to log at least 45 snaps, joining OLBs Kyron Johnson and Julius Welschof, who played as much as they did because outside linebacker lines were thinner. T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith (groin) were held out and Markus Golden had just retired. Pittsburgh had more options at inside linebacker, and Wilson still saw a ton of reps.
On the surface, it makes sense to get a long look at him. Wanting to evaluate a key rookie who could have an impactful role on defense. But that isn’t just given. It’s earned. Playing well in camp is one way to garner the coaches’ trust and, overall, Wilson has. More importantly, you have to be in shape to absorb those reps. Good conditioning is the foundational element of any impactful NFL player. If you’re not in shape, you’ll play slow, you’ll think slow, and the coaching staff will limit your usage.
That the Steelers felt comfortable putting Wilson on multiple special teams units, including the punt team where he’d run down in coverage only to stay on the field with the defense, speaks volumes about their trust in his conditioning. A rookie who is in veteran shape. It was one of the first impressions Mike Tomlin had after camp opened.
“He is highly conditioned and appears to be in position in that regard, certainly,” Tomlin said on July 28.
Wilson’s camp work ethic is well-documented, almost always the first player on the practice field, sometimes an hour before practice officially begins. His pre-practice habits aren’t focused on conditioning, he’s getting loose and going through a handful of half-speed drills, but it speaks to how seriously he takes his job. An older prospect and fifth-year senior, he’s more mature than a would-be underclassman and it shows in his approach and conditioning. That gives him the opportunity to play as much as he has, not missing a practice and soaking up reps throughout the summer.
Being highly conditioned doesn’t guarantee NFL success. But an absence of it essentially dooms any chance of thriving. It’s a key starting point and box that Wilson has checked. His overall play throughout camp and in the Texans game has been good. Not elite, there’s been some errors and aspects of his game to work on, struggling overall in backs on ‘backers and missing two tackles Friday night while guessing a bit in coverage. But when you’re in the football shape he is, Payton Wilson can absorb the reps to drill it and improve.
