**Player: ILB Payton Wilson**
**Stock Value: Up**
**Reasoning:** _The Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly view Payton Wilson as an every-down linebacker, even if he doesn’t play every down. That they see him as capable of that, however, leaves the window open for exactly that opportunity. During his rookie season last year, he showed that he belongs in the NFL. The only question remaining is how often he belongs on the field for a team that likes to rotate linebackers._
While the Steelers have relied on rotating inside linebackers in recent years, the approach has always felt less than preferred. For the most part, they have lacked two linebackers who share a complete skill set, in their view. We can go back to Robert Spillane and whoever he was rotating with—everyone since Ryan Shazier. But is Payton Wilson going to be just another guy in the mix?
Well, for this season, I’m guessing he will be. The Steelers have Patrick Queen for at least two more years, and they just signed Malik Harrison. Queen is going to be the every-down player, and one presumes they want to use Harrison. Harrison is more of a thumper, though, while Wilson is more athletic. It may not be dissimilar to the pairing of Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts.
But I think there is an opportunity for Payton Wilson to win—or steal—more snaps. After all, the Steelers have every incentive to want him to prove that he can handle anything. Who doesn’t want an every-down linebacker playing on a rookie contract?
The Steelers were able to draft Wilson in the third round because teams medically red-flagged him. Pittsburgh tends to be more forgiving on medical reports for draft prospects, but it doesn’t know what the future holds. The perception at the time was that if the team got a full rookie contract of quality play from Payton Wilson, it would have been worth it.
But, of course, maybe he actually is perfectly healthy and durable and won’t have a short career. Yes, his injury history makes you nervous, but Wilson is a baller. He already did a bunch of impressive things as a rookie, and he is a worker and a student. The Steelers could see a nice jump from him in Year 2, and if they do, he’ll be hard to keep on the sideline.
_With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that_ [_change the team talked about_](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/02/steelers-make-their-coaching-changes-they-still-manage-to-disappoint/) _after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract._
_There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. The dust is settled on both free agency and_ [_the 2025 NFL Draft_](https://www.nfl.com/draft/)_. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?_