Based on his film alone, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson could have been a first-round pick. He was the 2023 Dick Butkus Award winner as the best linebacker in the country. Analyst Brian Baldinger took that thought a step further, saying that Wilson would have been a Top-20 pick without his injury history.
It’s that very injury history that caused Wilson to fall to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. There are concerns that Wilson may never be more than a one-contract player in the league, but the Steelers were adamant that their doctors cleared Wilson and there is no concern going forward.