The Pittsburgh Steelers may have landed a future star.
Linebacker may not have seemed like an overwhelming position of need and with the way the board ended up dropping for the Pittsburgh Steelers , it seems like this was the feasible direction to go in. Just what type of player is Payton Wilson and is he really the best linebacker in the class? What sort of projection hurdles exist in his profile and just how do major analysts see this pick:
“A four-year starter, Wilson played weakside linebacker in defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s 3-3-5 stack scheme. After returning for a sixth year in Raleigh, he put together his most complete season in 2023 with 11.5 tackles per game and cleaned up on the award circuit, taking home the Butkus and Chuck Bednarik awards . Against run or pass, Wilson is quick to trigger and has some impressive GPS numbers for both his speed and the ground covered on plays.
“Wilson’s length and athletic profile could certainly push him up the board for some teams, but his history with injuries could tamp down his draft stock. He’s free-flowing in pursuit and is at his best as a run-and-hit hunter rather than a static defender faced with a downhill blocker. He has the burst to shoot downhill and make a tackle for loss but lacks the demeanor or play strength to consistently leverage run fits.
What position is he playing at the next level? Could he play linebacker, sure, but the eyes need some serious work and might have to operate in more of a subpackage role. His ball skills and athletic ability to cover could perhaps be rewarded at safety. His role ultimately is up to whatever the team that drafts him, but his highest return fit might be as an edge defender where he flashed his most consistent reps. High reward, high-risk return. You better have a plan.
They always could elect to use him as a swiss army knife similar to how NC State deployed him. One thing is for certain, Wilson is one of the brightest young men I interviewed at the senior bowl and his mindset is going to fit in absolutely seamlessly with the Steelers culture. He may not have an ACL, according Ian Rappoport, but the Steelers are accustomed to having legendary players who came with similar concerns in the past.
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