There’s perhaps no team historically that has prided itself more on defense than the Pittsburgh Steelers. That’s at least been the standard under head coach Mike Tomlin.
Just about no team in the league has invested as much in its defense over the last several years as the Steelers. Most of that investment has come through the draft. However, not every pick has worked out the way they hoped.
The latest could be linebacker Payton Wilson, who Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton says is trending toward bust status in 2026.
Steelers LB Patrick Wilson Gets Bust Warning
Wilson enters Year 3 of his NFL career after being selected No. 98 overall in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Known as a tackling machine at NC State, where he recorded 402 combined tackles in four seasons, Wilson appeared to be a perfect fit in Pittsburgh.
That just hasn’t quite been the case through two seasons.
“Payton Wilson is headed into a crucial year for his development,” Moton wrote. “In 2025, he logged a team-leading 126 tackles (six for loss), two sacks, two pass breakups and an interception across 17 games (four starts).”
It’s his difficulty in pass coverage that’s the concern.
“Wilson has shown the traits to earn a two-down role in run support, but he must show improvement in pass coverage for a true breakout year,” Moton added.
Even though a majority of Wilson’s snaps (571) came in the box, his second-most frequent alignment was at slot cornerback (109 snaps), per Pro Football Focus. He allowed two touchdowns and a 104.7 passer rating when targeted last season.
That’s just not good enough in Pittsburgh. And if that continues, Moton believes those lapses in coverage could cost Wilson significant playing time moving forward.
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Off-ball linebacker in general is considered a concern for the Steelers heading into 2026, with ESPN’s Mike Clay identifying it as the team’s biggest weakness.
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And it wasn’t just Wilson who drew criticism. Patrick Queen did as well.
“Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson are back as the starters, and that might not be a good thing after Pittsburgh ranked 27th in run stop win rate (28.9%) last season,” Clay wrote. “Queen remained an every-down player last season but slipped to 61st among 67 qualified off-ball linebackers in PFF grade (he ranked 54th among 69 qualified in 2024).”
Still, Moton isn’t counting Wilson out just yet, believing he can take a significant step forward despite battling for snaps with some of the team’s veteran depth last season.
“Wilson could make a Year 3 leap, though he struggled to fend off Cole Holcomb and Malik Harrison, who both remain on the roster, for snaps last season.”
The Steelers are hoping that’s exactly what happens. While Wilson’s production has been solid on paper, Pittsburgh needs him to become more than just a tackling machine. The organization drafted him believing he could develop into an every-down linebacker capable of staying on the field in any situation.
With Queen also facing questions and the Steelers lacking proven depth behind their starters, the pressure will be on Wilson to show growth in coverage and become a more complete defender.
If he can do that, Pittsburgh’s linebacker concerns could quickly fade. If not, the criticism surrounding one of the franchise’s recent defensive investments will only continue to grow.
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