The Pittsburgh Steelers have had arguably the best 2024 draft. The Steelers had a total of 7 picks in this year’s draft. They are acquiring three offensive linemen, one wide receiver, one linebacker, one defensive back, and one defensive lineman. So, let us look at all these picks and see what the Steelers have in store for these young stars.
PAYTON WILSON (LB) A-
The NC State linebacker is an absolute steal of a draft pick for the Steelers. With his elite coverage skills and freakish speed, Wilson was the number one linebacker, per the NFL, and had an 89.9 PFF grade in his final year at NC State. Which leads to the question, why would someone with this number of accolades and stats be drafted so low? Injuries are the number one reason Wilson was not a 1st round pick. Dating back to high school, Wilson has had countless leg and shoulder injuries. This did not scare the Steelers, however, as the team drafted Payton Wilson with one of their 3rd round picks.
THE GOOD:
While battling with leg injuries throughout his career, Payton Wilson ran an impressive 4.43 40-yard dash and had the highest athleticism score for linebackers. Wilson is a fantastic pass-coverage linebacker who can run down receivers and be matched up with tight ends very well. The NC Student’s football intelligence is extraordinarily strong as well, gaining comparisons to All-pro linebacker Luke Kuechly. Wilson’s ability to locate the ball at all times allows him to make numerous tackles with ease. The Steelers have been missing a true middle linebacker 1 for a while, and bringing in young stars like Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson could be deadly for opposing offenses. The Steelers may have just acquired a top-tier inside linebacker duo in just one offseason.
THE BAD:
Wilson’s availability is his biggest problem. The man could have been picked in the top 15, undoubtedly, if it were not for his injury past. Wilson has dealt with multiple shoulder injuries in college and has a history of ACL problems. Wilson is a freak athlete for his quick speed, with practically no ACL in one of his knees. Nevertheless, it is still not a good sign that Wilson has been dealing with injuries like this since high school. It is a little absurd to draft a linebacker with a lengthy injury history, especially considering the Steelers had seven different starting middle linebackers in 2023 due to injuries.