Among a Steelers draft class with big expectations, one rookie linebacker is already earning a reputation as a steal in the 2024 draft.
Payton Wilson is expected to have “a key role” for Steelers, according to CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso.
“I cannot rave enough about Wilson in Pittsburgh,” Trapasso wrote in a June 6 story about rookies selected after Day 1 of the draft who could make an impact. “I ranked Wilson at No. 1 in my player-team fits piece a few weeks back, so it would be silly not to highlight him again.”
The Steelers selected Wilson in the third round with the 98th overall pick after he slid down the draft board over concerns about his injury history, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Trapasso added that rookie center Zach Frazier will also play this season, but “Wilson can be better.”
Steelers Seeking Consistency at Inside Linebacker
The Steelers have experienced a revolving door at inside linebacker for several seasons.
Though the team seemed to find its footing at the position during the 2023 season with Kwon Alexander, Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts, injury shortened the seasons of both Holcomb and Alexander.
Holcomb continues his rehabilitation process for a knee injury, while Alexander remains a free agent.
The Steelers added significantly to the inside linebacker group during the 2024 offseason by drafting Wilson and signing Patrick Queen.
Trapasso wrote that Wilson is part of the equation to help the Steelers find consistency at the position.
“This is a supremely gifted athlete who was wildly productive as a blitzer, against the run, and in coverage at NC State,” Trapasso wrote. “He had 13 pass breakups and seven interceptions in his five-year stint with the Wolfpack. And the Steelers were desperate for steady — and explosive — linebacker play a season ago.”
Despite the injury concerns by NFL teams, Wilson was healthy for a standout senior season at NC State. He won the Chuck Bednarik Defensive Player of the Year Award and Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker.
Wilson Impressing in First Days as a Steeler
During Steelers rookie minicamp on May 10, Wilson was quick to downplay any injury concerns, including Rapoport’s April 26 report that Wilson doesn’t have an ACL in one of his knees.
“I’ve had a revision on my ACL, that the graft, it looks a little different,” Wilson said, via the team’s YouTube channel. “I definitely have something in there. I wouldn’t be able to run around and cut the way that I do or move the way that I do, so I think a lot of it’s kind of just hearsay. At the end of the day, I’ve been playing for five or six years, just perfectly fine.”
He also appears to be impressing veteran teammates like Queen.
“Athlete. He’s got that mindset,” Queen said on May 22, via the team’s YouTube channel. “You can kind of tell, the way he talks. He’s really a smart player, but you can tell that he’s about the action, playing football. That’s a type of guy that you want in your room.”
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CBS Sports Projects Steelers Rookie Linebacker Will Earn Key Role This Season