Bulkier Payton Wilson looking to take on heavier role at inside linebacker in Steelers defense

Wanting to take on a bigger role in the Pittsburgh Steelers defense, inside linebacker Payton Wilson used his offseason time in the weight room to get bigger physically.

Wilson said he reported to organized team activities this week weighing 243 pounds, saying it is the “heaviest I have ever been.” As a rookie in 2024, Wilson played about 8 pounds lighter.

Wilson added weight in the offseason without trying to sacrifice any of the speed that made him arguably the fastest linebacker in his draft class. Wilson ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds in 2024, the seventh-fastest time recorded by a linebacker in the combine’s history.

Still, Wilson believed there was room to add muscle on his 6-foot-4 frame.

“It’s not the easiest thing in the world,” Wilson said Thursday on the third day of OTAS. “I can put weight on when I need to, but there’s no reason to be running around on 250 pounds. I think my speed is one of the best in the world at my position. At 243, I’m still as fast as I was last year. It’s having a good balance of speed and power.”

Wilson bulked up because of the opportunity that awaits in his second NFL season. The Steelers did not re-sign veteran Elandon Roberts, opening the door for Wilson to become a starter next to fellow inside linebacker Patrick Queen.

The Steelers added Malik Harrison in the offseason and drafted Carson Bruener in the seventh round to provide depth. The wild card is Cole Holcomb, who missed the entire 2024 season with a leg injury but is fully healthy this spring.

Wilson has been taking regular reps with the first-team defense in offseason workouts, and he’d like to keep it that way in the regular season.

“Whatever they need me to do, I’m going to do it,” he said. “I want to be out there every single snap, and I’m trying to prove myself out here. It’s great being out there for every snap.”

He wouldn’t mind emulating Queen, who played every defensive snap during the regular season in his first year with the Steelers. Wilson, a third-round pick from N.C. State, split playing time at the other spot with Roberts, who signed with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.

Wilson played 45% of the snaps as a rookie. Despite being a part-time player, he finished fourth on the team with 72 tackles, including a pair of games with 10.

“I want to continue to show the guys I have what it takes,” he said. “It’s knowing the playbook, communicating, flying around every snap. Last year, we had E-Rob. Now that he’s gone, there is a chance for me to take every snap, and I’m excited for it.”

Roberts was known as a run stuffer and specialized in short-yardage situations. He played 55% of all run snaps last season compared to 30% for Wilson, who spent most of his playing time as a coverage option at linebacker.

The infusion of Wilson into an expanded role is just one of the changes made on a defense that yielded 299 yards rushing in a wild-card playoff loss at Baltimore.

“There’s a lot of new stuff going on,” Queen said. “We have the guys in the right spot that can do the job.”

Wilson feels better prepared to contribute on defense than he did a year ago when he saw consistent work on special teams.

“It’s the confidence,” he said. “The talent is still the same. It’s knowing the scheme, flying around, knowing the guys and having a bond with the guys you are playing with. People don’t look at that, but it really helps a lot. Being able to communicate without second-guessing myself like last year at the beginning, it’s been a world of difference.”

As evidenced by Wilson’s work in the weight room, it isn’t lost on him that the Steelers emphasized getting more physical in the offseason. They used three of their top four draft picks on front-seven defensive players.

“As Mike Tomlin says, we build it from the ground up with the bigs,” Wilson said. “You can see that. It’s a point to our culture, and how we’re trying to build our team.”