Entering his third season, Payton Wilson could be one of the emerging stars on the Steelers’ defense, his teammates believe. Appearing on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast, Patrick Queen and DeShon Elliott discussed his growth. Both have been with the team since it drafted Wilson, so have seen every step along the way.
“I think he’s getting comfortable. I think he’s starting to show his true self”, said Queen, Wilson’s fellow man in the middle of the Steelers’ defense as the starting off-ball linebackers. “And just with more reps and more time I think we’re finally gonna get to see that every single play”.
A third-round pick in 2024, Payton Wilson has been a regular contributor to the defense since his rookie season. But he has yet to graduate into a full-time player, and it remains to be seen whether he will this year. Patrick Queen is the every-down linebacker, but the Steelers have taken Wilson off the field for run downs. In 2024, Elandon Roberts rotated with him, and last year, Cole Holcomb and Malik Harrison did.
Currently, all three are on the roster. But if Wilson shows growth—and it appears that he is—then they might not have to take him off the field. Surely, that’s what the Steelers’ coaching staff is hoping for, especially with the evident unlikelihood of Queen re-signing next offseason. This year could be a trial run to see if Wilson can be the green dot beginning in 2027. The good news is he is having a good offseason, and it’s evident to those around him.
“He’s playing with a lot more confidence. It feels like the coaches are trusting him more”, Elliott said of Wilson. “I was watching him coming out of college. Sideline-to-sideline linebacker who gives a high effort, high-motor guy. We saw that last year against Minnesota when he went and hawked down Jordan Addison. But I think Payton’s gonna be a great linebacker in this league, genuinely, if he just keeps it up and stays healthy”.
Among Wilson’s biggest issues during his first two seasons has been his ability to shed blocks and work through traffic. He appears to be progressing in that area, but the real test will come in the regular season. We have seen offseason Payton before, and he certainly has a lot of confidence in himself.
But even with that understanding, teammates are noticing a more assertive, confident version this year. How much of that is the natural progression of a young player and how much perhaps the confidence instilled in him by a new coaching staff that is not putting limits on him, that’s hard to say.
Suffice it to say that this is a big year for Payton Wilson, and that includes financially. If he takes that looked-for step forward in 2026, he could be signing a big extension around this time next year. And as we have seen recently, the Steelers are committed to keeping their homegrown talent.