New Steelers LB Payton Wilson's Coach Draws Remarkable Comparison To Former Defensive Player Of The Year

The Pittsburgh Steelers seem to have hit a home run with the 2024 NFL Draft, with nearly every pick having more value than their draft spot. One of the most incredible values was the selection of linebacker Payton Wilson out of NC State. The Steelers drafted Wilson 98th overall, but he's been tabbed as a top-20 talent by many. 

Old injuries worked in the Steelers' favor, causing Wilson to fall down the board. During high school, it was discovered that Wilson was missing an ACL in one knee, and he had torn the other. He also suffered a shoulder injury in 2021, but missed zero time during the 2022 and 2023 seasons. While this might frighten some teams, the Steelers aren't scared by missing ACLs, citing Hines Ward and Greg Lloyd before moving on. 

Wilson's former Defensive Coordinator, Tony Gibson, recently joined 93.7 The Fan Morning Show with Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson to discuss what the Steelers are getting in Wilson. Crowley asked Gibson which NFL player is a fair comparison to Wilson.  

"Luke Kuechly comes to mind; he is athletic and long. He understands schemes, what people are trying to do, and how people are trying to attack him. He is so so smart and he will study as much film as anybody in that building and know exactly how he is gonna get attacked and understands how to fix all of those things. I've been doing this for 30 years, and he's as good as any player I've ever coached. He's as good, if not the best player I've had."

That's incredibly high praise. Luke Kuechly had a relatively short NFL career, playing only eight seasons for the Carolina Panthers. During those seasons however, he was the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, a five-time First Team All-Pro, and a seven-time Pro Bowler.  

Gibson said Kuechly and Wilson play the game without regard to their safety. But that doesn't mean Steelers fans should be worried about Wilson's injury history. Gibson said they had zero concerns the past two seasons. Wilson works hard with the staff off the field so that he can throw himself into danger on the field. 

The coach also applauded Wilson's loyalty during an age of the transfer portal and NIL deals. Wilson could have gone to other places and made a lot of money, but he chose to stick it out at NC State. To Gibson, Wilson is a "Pittsburgh kind of guy." 

The Steelers have struggled to find a solid solution at inside linebacker for quite some time. In 2023, they thought they had the answer in Cole Holcomb and Kwon Alexander, but both players suffered season-ending injuries. Wilson's skills translate perfectly to the NFL; according to Gibson, he could start day one. This should make him a natural complement to Patrick Queen, whom the Steelers signed from the Baltimore Ravens earlier this offseason. 

"He's a three-down linebacker. He's a guy that they'll never take off the field. He can cover slot receivers and tight ends. He just has everything. He's also physical in the run game. He made 138 tackles for us. He really gets downhill on people. He's everything you want in a linebacker."

The Steelers Likely To Let Payton Wilson Start On Special Teams

Herbig joined an outside group that included TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith, so no one expected him to start day one, but he did play the most snaps on special teams in 2023. Gibson is not only joining Queen, but also Elandon Roberts and potentially Holcomb, who is doing everything he can to play again. 

The Steelers once again found what appears to be a steal in the draft, adding Wilson to a defense stacked with incredible talent. Hopefully, the addition of players like Wilson and Queen will fix some of the weak spots that were exploited last season.