Payton Wilson Impressed the Steelers and Executives Around the League

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a very strong 2024 NFL Draft with four solid picks within the first three rounds. Their final selection in the third round though, Payton Wilson, has impressed several NFL executives around the league. Once the draft commenced, Wilson earned high praise, but the jury is still out on how he will transition into the NFL.

Two of the three other selections in the first three rounds for the Steelers, Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier, earned high praise as well from an NFL executive, and the Steelers look like they are in position to contend with a new core of young, talented players. Roman Wilson, a wide receiver from Michigan who was drafted in the third round by Pittsburgh, is no slouch either, and he will really help the team with depth in the receiver room.

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Payton Wilson Praise

N.C. State Linebacker selected 98th overall

Payton Wilson had not only one, but two different NFL executives speak highly of him coming out of the draft.

One NFL executive said the Steelers “got the best off-ball coverage linebacker in the draft if Payton Wilson can stay healthy,” while another executive spoke about how great of a prospect and pick Wilson was for the Steelers:

When two executives give a prospect so much praise, the expectation is that Wilson will be a key to the Steelers’ defense for a long time. They both did mention his injury history, which was a concern around the league, but Wilson’s potential is there and if he can stay on the field, the Steelers are getting a high impact player all the way at pick 98.

The First Three Rounds of the Steelers’ Draft

Three more solid picks

Besides Wilson at the end of the third round, the Steelers selected Troy Fautanu in the first round, Zach Frazier in the second round, and Roman Wilson in the third round. They added a guard, a center, and a wide receiver in an effort to shore up their offense for Russell Wilson as he makes his first start as the Steelers’ quarterback this season. When asked about the Steelers’ draft, an NFL executive gave high praise for the offensive line picks as well.

The offensive lineman might have received most of the praise, but Roman Wilson, WR out of Michigan, is also a very strong pick for the Steelers with his competitiveness, great hands, and burst. Overall, the Steelers had a great draft and added a lot of key pieces that will help them have a more solid team this year, which is necessary in the stacked AFC North.

All statistics courtesy of Pro-Football Reference unless otherwise stated.

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