Steelers rookie LB draws early glowing reviews

Steelers rookie linebacker Payton Wilson has caught the attention of fans as the first player to take the field on the first two days of training camp.

Now he's starting to catch the attention of his teammates on the field. Veteran safety DeShon Elliott raved about the rookie on Friday.

"He might be the most mature rookie when it comes to preparation," Elliott said. "He's a freak athlete. He's really smart. He learns from his mistakes, and he doesn't repeat them twice."

Wilson, the No. 98 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, may be Pittsburgh's most athletic linebacker since Ryan Shazier.

The NC State product won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the top defender in the country and the Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker after registering 138 total tackles, six sacks, one forced fumble, three interceptions and six passes defensed in 2023.

However, Wilson's extensive injury history is what caused him to fall into the Steelers' lap in the third round and why he takes his warmup regiment so seriously.

"It wasn't in my head," Wilson said. "I have a routine that I do every single day. My warmup takes about 20, 25 minutes and I'm not gonna cut that."

It will be tough for Wilson to earn a starting job right out the gate with veterans Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts likely to be the starters, but he's willing to play any role Pittsburgh wants him to.

"I have higher expectations for myself than anyone," Wilson added. "Whatever role the Pittsburgh Steelers want to hand me, I'm gonna hit it at 110 percent and try to help this team win a Super Bowl."

Although it may be a bit premature, Wilson has already been compared to a couple of great linebackers, including former NFL Defensive Player of the Year and seven-time Pro Bowler Luke Kuechly.

Elliott believes Wilson will be one of a kind when it's all said and done.

"I think Payton is gonna be Payton and he's gonna be a great player in the NFL," Elliott stated.

All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.