The Pittsburgh Steelers' draft classes under Omar Khan have been phenomenal from top to bottom. From building the offensive line the last two NFL Drafts to finding great additions in later rounds, it seems that Khan can't miss. In the 2024 NFL Draft, Khan may have pulled off the steal of the event in the third round, selecting linebacker Payton Wilson out of North Carolina State.
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Pittsburgh Steelers' Payton Wilson making a tackle in the preseason against the Houston Texans.
Wilson has already started to make noise in his rookie campaign, leading the Steelers' defense in tackles in their Week 7 victory over the New York Jets. His teammates were not shocked at all when seeing the stat sheet, especially not Patrick Queen. Queen was asked by the media about Wilson's performance on Sunday Night Football. Not only was he not surprised by it, he warns other teams that Wilson is just getting started.
"Not with somebody like him," said Queen. "I think he has that ability, we all know he has that ability actually. Just to be able to see him do that is big, but just knowing that his play can get even better, that's the scary part."
The Steelers' rookie continues to receive praise from his coaches, teammates, and NFL analysts as the season goes on. NFL Insider Brain Baldinger loved Wilson's performance in Week 7 as much as the Steelers did, calling him a true Steeler linebacker.
In Wilson's last season with the Wolfpack, it was outstanding. He was awarded the Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker) and the Badnarik Award (nation's top defensive player). He was also the ACC Defensive Player of the Year and an unanimous First Team All-American. He finished his season with 138 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss.
Wilson saw his draft stock plummet when concerns of his medial history came to light. He has a history of knee and shoulder injuries, not to mention he doesn't have an ACL in one of his knees. One of the top linebackers in the draft class fell right into Khan's lap with the 98th pick and is already showing the league through seven weeks that it was a mistake to pass up on him.
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Pittsburgh Steelers' linebacker Payton Wilson making a tackle in his regular season debut against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1.
The Steelers may have found the linebacker they have been searching for to replace the void Ryan Shazier left after his injury. The Steelers traded up in the 2019 NFL Draft to get Devin Bush, a linebacker out of Michigan. Bush was performing well until he tore ACL against the Cleveland Browns in 2020 and never fully bounced back. While free agent signings like Elandon Roberts and Queen have served the Steelers well, adding an explosive linebacker with those two adds another important piece to their defense.
Wilson's ability to help out in pass coverage allows more flexibility to the Steelers' defense. Roberts gets more rest in-game this season with the rotation between him and the rookie. The Steelers' coaching staff is already showing a lot of trust in their third round pick this early on in the season and if he continues to make the most of his snaps, that trust will continue to grow.
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Pittsburgh Steelers' DeShon Elliott and Payton Wilson making a tackle in their loss against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5.
Steelers Have Their Linebacker Of The Future In Payton Wilson
Wilson will continue to make use of his snaps as the season continues -- leading the Steelers in tackles with 25 less snaps than Queen. The Steelers' linebacker core will continue to grow more fearsome as Wilson continues to develop for Pittsburgh. Wilson could be looking at more snaps in the team's Monday Night Football matchup with the New York Giants. As the season progresses, Wilson could see his role continue to grow with the staff and his teammates relying on his play.
How would you grade Wilson's rookie season so far? Do you think he is the steal of the 2024 NFL Draft? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
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