There’s a real possibility the Pittsburgh Steelers got one of the biggest steals of the entire 2024 NFL draft. The Steelers had two picks in the third round and after selecting wide receiver Roman Wilson with the first of those picks, they found themselves staring down the opportunity to select a guy many graded as a late-first or early second-round prospect in inside linebacker Payton Wilson.
Wilson fell in the draft due to some concerns about a knee injury. An injury that occurred while he was still in high school. Let that sink in a little. Teams were concerned about a six-year-old knee injury despite his amazing film from the last two seasons.
Thankfully the Steelers didn’t feel any trepidation in choosing the smart, athletic gamechanger and now they might just have their best inside linebacker since Ryan Shazier.
Pittsburgh signed Patrick Queen as a free agent from the Baltimore Ravens and he is sure to have a huge impact on the Steelers defense but a tandem of Queen and Wilson might be the most dynamic and athletic group in the league.
Prediction: We expect to see veteran Elandon Roberts get the nod as the starting inside linebacker next to Queen to start the season and the Steelers will bring Wilson along at a steady pace. But by midseason, look for Wilson to be getting the bulk of the reps with Queen and this will allow the Steelers to keep two inside linebackers on the field more down the stretch.
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