If the Steelers hand Payton Wilson a bigger role this offseason, he, and his body, will be prepared for it. The second-year inside linebacker told reporters yesterday he increased his weight since his rookie year. Presumably, the purpose is to play the run better, but he believes he has also retained his speed.
According to Ray Fittipaldo, Payton Wilson weighed around 235 as a rookie but is now up to 243. That’s about as high as he wants to go, however, for multiple reasons. For one thing, he said it’s not easy for him to add weight. And he simply doesn’t believe he needs that much bulk to do what he needs to do.
“It’s not the easiest thing in the world”, Wilson admitted, to add bulk to his particular lean frame. “I can put on weight when I need to. I don’t think there is any real reason to be running around at 250 pounds. I think my speed is one of the best in the world right now at the linebacker position. At 243, I’m just as fast as I was last year. It’s a good balance of size and speed and power”.
The Steelers selected Payton Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he split time with Elandon Roberts next to Patrick Queen in the middle of the defense. He finished the season with 492 snaps, and another 301 on special teams. All told, he recorded 78 tackles, three for loss, with an interception, forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He returned one of those recovered fumbles for a touchdown.
This offseason, the Steelers opted not to re-sign Elandon Roberts, who previously expressed a desire to return. It’s not clear exactly what that means for Payton Wilson, however. They also signed Malik Harrison in free agency, and retained Cole Holcomb, who missed last season due to injury.
The Steelers signed Holcomb in 2023 to be their every-down linebacker, but he hasn’t been healthy most of that time. Now he is, so does the coaching staff see him returning to the field in a prominent role? Patrick Queen’s price tag alone would make it difficult to take him off the field.
Still, Payton Wilson seems the overwhelmingly most likely candidate to take at least the majority of the snaps next to Queen. If the added weight can help expand his versatility to play both the run and the pass, all to the better. But they certainly need to improve the run game.
“It’s one of the points of emphasis we’ve honed in on”, Wilson said of the Steelers’ run defense. That area of the unit fell apart late last season, culminating in a 299-yard performance by the Ravens. “We’re correcting some schematics and being schematically sound to improve on some of those things”.
It all sounds good in May, but time will tell what this all means. For now, Wilson is taking all the reps with the first-team unit, but in OTAs, that doesn’t amount to much. Just like confidence in an improved run defense.
