Exit Meeting: ILB Payton Wilson
Experience: 2 Years
Payton Wilson failed to secure a full-time starting job last season when the Steelers handed him the opportunity. It’s unclear what that means for his future, but certainly, any long-term role would require improvement on his part. While he is athletic and intelligent, he lacks consistency and physicality.
With Wilson and Patrick Queen, the Steelers have basically run two Mack linebackers. Former Steelers HC Mike Tomlin liked to supplement with Elandon Roberts and, later, Malik Harrison as bigger, more physical bodies. At this point, that arrangement would appear likely to continue.
A 2024 third-round draft pick, Payton Wilson has not exactly disappointed. While he fell in part due to concerns about his long-term durability, he was still taken 98th overall. Last season, he played 732 snaps, almost two-thirds for the Steelers on defense, plus 331 on special teams.
In all, he totaled 126 tackles, which includes special teams work. It also includes 6 tackles for loss, doubling his rookie-year total. Wilson also recorded his first two sacks and intercepted another pass. Despite his work in coverage, he only had four passes defensed in his career.
With Mike Tomlin resigning and almost the entire coaching staff departing with him, it’s hard to assess where the Steelers stand. New HC Mike McCarthy is an offensive mind, so that alone will change the complexion of the defense. For the better part of two decades, Tomlin had his imprint on that unit. Now, Patrick Graham is the defensive coordinator, so how will he assess Payton Wilson?
The lone defensive coach McCarthy retained is Scott McCurley, who worked with him previously. McCurley just so happens to be Wilson’s position coach, so he will have a full assessment of what the third-year player can offer.
Payton Wilson certainly has talent, and nothing is stopping him from putting it all together. He does not lack confidence, even if he also possesses humility. A diligent worker, he strives to improve. But if he can’t play more physically and consistently shed blocks, it’s hard to see a full-time role for him.
The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves at home, the inevitable result of another early playoff exit. This is a repeated pattern for the organization, but with major change coming. As the Steelers conduct their own exit meetings, we will go down the roster conducting our own. Who should stay, and who should go, and how? Who should expect a bigger role next season, and who might deserve a new contract? The resignation of Mike Tomlin makes those questions much more difficult to answer, but much more important. We’ll explore those questions and more in these articles, part of an annual series.