Despite adding to the inside linebacker room, the Steelers view Payton Wilson as a three-down player, Gerry Dulac says. Even so, that doesn’t mean they will use him as a three-down player to the fullest extent. The Steelers already have Patrick Queen as the player who doesn’t leave the field, after all. But if they needed somebody else, they would presumably be comfortable with Wilson.
When asked if the Steelers view Wilson as an every-down linebacker, Dulac said in a recent chat, “Yes, they do. And a good one.” Still, he added that it “doesn’t mean they won’t rotate other players depending on down and distance. They have four of them for a reason.”
While they did not re-sign Elandon Roberts this offseason, they did bring in Malik Harrison at $5 million APY. In addition to that, they seem to plan on Cole Holcomb being on the roster this year, potentially contributing. Along with Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, and Harrison, Holcomb is presumably the fourth of the four Dulac references.
Of course, it would be exceedingly difficult for a team to reliably rotate four inside linebackers. While teams have more specialized roles for players, it’s hard not to have a linebacker who is on the field for every play. After all, you need someone who wears the green dot, which is almost always a linebacker. We already know Payton Wilson is the next in line for the green dot, as he confirmed that last year.
The Steelers selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. After a decorated college career, he started four of 17 games as a rookie, playing nearly 500 snaps. Including special teams, he recorded 78 tackles with three for loss, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown. He also recorded one of the more impressive interceptions of the season.
Still, it’s not clear exactly what role the Steelers envision for Payton Wilson in 2025, if they have one currently. It’s still May, and there haven’t even been OTAs yet, so perhaps they don’t know right now what they want to do. They still haven’t even seen Malik Harrison on the field or gotten a serious look at Cole Holcomb.
I would guess that if Payton Wilson earns 80 percent of the snaps per game, the Steelers will play him that much. Presumably, they will still use Harrison in select obvious run downs, as they have rotated linebackers for a few years.
Wilson showed a lot of potential as a rookie, but did not amount to a finished product just yet. He has the makings of a true leader of a defense, if he can take his game that far. Right now, all he has to do is keep working and gaining experience. If his work justifies more snaps, he’ll see them.
