With each passing pick, we wondered which team would roll the dice on North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson. A whole lot of off-ball linebackers came off the board before Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers just waiting for their opportunity to snatch him up with their second pick in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.
Wilson is a ridiculously athletic linebacker who Was the Butkus and Bednarik Award winner and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He fills up the box score like no other defender in the draft.
Wilson ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at 233 pounds at the scouting combine and North Carolina State didn’t hesitate to use Wilson inside and outside. For Wilson, staying healthy will be the key and the only reason he fell to the end of the third round. Two torn ACLs for a guy with his level of athleticism raised some concerns but when you put on the film, you see no issues with any old injuries.
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