Steelers' Payton Wilson Gets Praised For His Relentless Desire To Play Smart, Punishing Football

The Pittsburgh Steelers went into the 2023 regular season believing that the linebackers room had been fully addressed. Unfortunately, the team was ravaged by injuries that took out two linebackers for the season and hobbled several more. During the 2024 offseason, Pittsburgh once against invested heavily in the middle linebacker position in both free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft. Former Baltimore Ravens defender, Patrick Queen is excited to be bringing stability to the position alongside one of Pittsburgh's intriguing rookie selections.

After playing in Baltimore for the first four seasons of his NFL career, Queen's signing by the Steelers was seen as an indication that the franchise was willing to make big moves to shore up the linebackers room. Another addition to that group is rookie Payton Wilson out of North Carolina State. Despite knee injuries during college, Wilson was widely seen as one of the more talented linebackers in the 2024 draft class. Queen spoke to the media following Pittsburgh's second day of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) and praised Wilson and his approach to the game.

"Athlete. Uh, got that mindset. You can kind of tell, uh, the way he talks, you know, he's really a smart player, but you can tell that he's really, like, 'bout that action with football. So, um, that's the type of guy you want in your room."

Wilson compiled an incredibly impressive collegiate career, including winning the Butkus Award in 2023 as the top linebacker in the country. The former Wolfpack defender tallied 46 games played in college but his ability to remain on the field and healthy was questioned throughout the draft process. Before even getting to college, Wilson tore his ACL in his senior year of high school before another injury to his knee, forcing Wilson to redshirt his freshman year at NC State.

After putting his knee injuries behind him, Wilson got bit by the bug again with a season-ending shoulder injury a mere two games into the 2021 season. In spite of constant interruptions to his playing career, Wilson never wavered, and that tenacity has him wearing black and gold in Pittsburgh. He stayed healthy and productive for his final two seasons with the Wolfpack, which played a large role in NFL teams having enough remarkable tape to overlook those concerns.