Steelers A to Z: ILB Payton Wilson likely steps into featured role

Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2025 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 12 and July 23. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

ILB PAYTON WILSON

Experience/age: Second season, 25

Contract status: $1.27 million cap hit in 2025, signed through 2027

The past: Wilson was tabbed as the best defensive player in college football in 2023, winning the Chuck Bednarik Award in addition to the Butkus Award (top linebacker) and earning his second All-America honor while a senior at N.C. State. After his time in the 40-yard dash of 4.43 seconds was the fastest of any non-defensive back, wide receiver or running back at the 2024 combine, the Steelers selected Wilson in the third round with the 98^th overall pick of last year’s draft.

On the fields of Saint Vincent last summer, Wilson looked the part and he was a part of the defense from the start of his rookie year. Wilson played at least one-third of the Steelers’ defensive snaps for all but one of last season’s games, topping out at 58% for an October game against Dallas. He made four official starts and played more often in passing situations.

PAYTON WILSON RIPS IT AWAY. WILD @STEELERS INT.

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— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024

2025 outlook: Last season, Wilson joined a team that had just given a lucrative contract to Patrick Queen at his position and also returned veteran run-stopper Elandon Roberts. Roberts has moved on, but Queen is back after playing every snap last season. Also, Cole Holcomb is poised to return after missing all of last season because of a serious knee injury. Malik Harrison was also signed as a free agent to a deal that suggests he will have a role on the defense, and fourth-year pro Mark Robinson is an inside linebacker who has mostly appeared on special teams throughout his career.

Wilson figures to slot in as the Steelers’ No. 2 inside linebacker, his playing time expanded after the departure of Roberts. While it will be interesting to see how the division of labor in the secondary shakes out — the deployment of three safeties at times could negatively affect Wilson’s role — Wilson is expected to play a majority of the snaps in a variety of packages this season. Blessed with elite speed and regarded as a strong tackler, Wilson has a skillset that could make him an every-down linebacker. For now, his strength is considered as a coverage linebacker — he had the eighth-best coverage grade from Pro Football Focus for players at his position. Wilson won’t start 2025 playing more snaps than Queen, but if he has a good enough season Wilson has enough potential that that could be his role at some point in the future.