Who's Steelers Other Starting LB?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the luxury of multiple quality options at inside linebacker, but which player is the current favorite to log the most snaps opposite Patrick Queen, who is entrenched as a starter after signing a three-year, $41 million deal in free agency last offseason and leading the team with 129 tackles?

Payton Wilson, a 2024 third-round pick out of N.C. State, would appear to be the frontrunner for that title. He lined up alongside Queen in the middle of Pittsburgh's defense all of last season, and he flashed some impressive tools that could signal a sizable leap as he heads into his sophomore campaign.

An athletic linebacker who has shown his prowess in coverage, Wilson could benefit from becoming a more adept run defender and adding a bit more strength.

His splash play ability was evident as a rookie, however, finishing with an interception, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble across 520 defensive snaps, and he very easily could become a staple for the Steelers moving forward.

Malik Harrison is worth mentioning within this discussion as well after coming over from the Baltimore Ravens, where he played with Queen for four seasons, on a two-year, $10 million agreement in March.

The reality, though, is that he'll likely have more of an impact on special teams than defense. Harrison is a bigger off-ball linebacker at 6-foot-3, 259 pounds, and while he has some thumping qualities about him, he missed 12 tackles over 438 reps in 2024 while also garnering a 29.9 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.

He's a nice veteran depth piece to have, but it's a bit unreasonable to expect him to earn much playing time over Wilson out of the gate.

It remains to be seen how effective Cole Holcomb will be, but it's just a good sign to see him inch closer to a return after sustaining a serious knee injury in Week 9 of the 2023 campaign that's kept him out of game action ever since.

He had his 21-day practice window opened at the end of this past season, but he didn't factor into the equation before the Steelers bowed out in the Wild Card round of the playoffs to the Ravens.

Holcomb was a true three-down linebacker when healthy, evidenced by the fact that he logged at least 50 reps in each of his eight full contests for Pittsburgh two years ago while forcing two fumbles and making 54 total tackles.

Even if he doesn't start, Holcomb is an ideal rotational piece who should still receive a fair amount of work throughout the season.

The Steelers are also rostering the likes of Devin Harper, Mark Robinson and 2025 seventh-rounder Carson Bruener at inside linebacker. Wilson, Harrison and Holcomb make up the core of the position group, however, and they will all factor into the team's plans alongside Queen, though the former has the best shot at starting.