Steelers Found 'The Best Inside Linebacker' In The Draft In Payton Wilson

The Pittsburgh Steelers ended the second day of the 2024 NFL Draft by taking former member of the NC State Wolfpack, Payton Wilson, with the 98th pick during round three. The Steelers' coaching staff couldn't stop talking about his speed and nose for the football during their post-pick press conference Friday night, but the athleticism of Wilson has caught the attention of the rest of the league as well.

NFL Analyst Brian Baldinger took time to break down the play of Wilson in one of his "Baldys Breakdowns", and give credit to the Steelers who "know a little something about linebackers." 

"He is the best linebacker in this class. You can argue the medical knocked him down a little bit here, but you watch him play and how active he is... the guy fills up the stat page every game he plays."

Despite the concern regarding his a lack of an ACL in one knee, Wilson was a solid defender with the Wolfpack that was constantly around the football. His mixture of speed and strength makes him a formidable player in coverage and in getting to the quarterback where he excelled in college. This excellence helped guide him to multiple awards in 2023 including the Dick Butkus Award, given to the nations best linebacker. In a further breakdown of Wilson's highlights, the hit power stands out the most. 

"When he tackles you, you don't go anywhere. It's one big smackdown with Payton Wilson. I love watching him play. The Steelers got a great player."

Wilson was the sixth inside linebacker off the board in a draft that wasn't heralded as a strong linebacker class, but may still be ascending as a player. Wilson finished his collegiate career with 402 total tackles and seven interceptions. In 2023, he helped in showing his speed where he finished the year with a career-best 6 sacks. 

Steelers' Wilson Will Have Monster Shoes To Fill

Wilson joins a team that is known for finding value at the linebacker position, and creating game wreckers with them. Whether that be a recent success in Ryan Shazier (prior to his tragic career-ending injury), or members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Jack Lambert or Jack Ham, Wilson will have large shoes to fill. Even though he has heavy expectations in front of him, Wilson will be set up for success. 

Wilson won't be expected to start right away thanks to the recent signing of Patrick Queen in free agency, but can have the ceiling of being a long-term starter for the black and gold. The Steelers have been trying to fill the hole at inside linebacker left behind by the injury to Shazier suffered in 2017. 

Though there have been attempts to fill the need in both free agency and the draft, it appears that Wilson may have the best chance to get the job done given his skill set. If Baldinger's analysis is right, then the long wait by Steelers fans for an every down linebacker may be over.

Who was the best selection by the Steelers?