Payton Wilson

Rotational rookie → Year-2 starter with 129 combined tackles — Wilson's leap is one of the cleanest in the 2024 class.

Pittsburgh took Wilson 98th overall in 2024 out of NC State despite a long medical file (multiple shoulder surgeries, an ACL). He played 17 games as a rookie — mostly behind Patrick Queen and Elandon Roberts — and broke out in 2025 when Roberts left in free agency.

The Year 1 → Year 2 jump: combined tackles up 64% (79 → 129), TFLs up 50% (4 → 6), sacks from 0 to 2. He hasn't missed a game across both seasons (35 of 35).

Top 20 in combined tackles among all LBs in 2025 — and the only player on that list still on a rookie contract.

Wilson and Queen tied for Steelers team lead at 129 combined tackles in 2025 — both are top-20 in the NFL. Wilson actually had more solo tackles (76 vs 62), despite Queen wearing the green dot.

For a 2nd-year player still on his 4-year/$5.2M rookie deal, this is the kind of season that resets a position room.

14-tackle game vs Buffalo in Week 13 — career high, and the high-water mark of a 6-game stretch averaging 7.7 tackles.

The 14-combined-tackle game vs Buffalo in Week 13 was Wilson's career high, in a Steelers loss that featured 234 rushing yards from James Cook. He had 3 separate 13-tackle games in 2025 (Weeks 4, 9, and 13) — only 12 LBs in the league had three of those across the full season.

Same season tackle count as 14-year vet Patrick Queen — but Wilson is 5 years younger and on a $1.3M cap hit.

Pittsburgh paid Queen $41M over 3 years in 2024 free agency to be their MIKE. One year later, the rookie they took in the 3rd round on the same trip matched his production — same combined tackles, more TFLs.

Wilson's cap hit in 2025: $1.31M. Queen's: $13M. The contract math is what makes the Wilson breakout strategically explosive for the Steelers.

3 fumble recoveries in his first 35 games — already in elite ball-finder territory.

Wilson has logged 3 fumble recoveries and 1 forced fumble across his first 35 NFL games. That's a high splash-rate for a 2nd-year off-ball LB — most rookies who become starters take 3+ seasons to hit 3 FR.

Add 5 PDs and the Wilson profile is shaping up as a three-down read-and-react LB with above-average ball production. The Steelers leaning on him to replace Roberts and play 90%+ of snaps in 2025 has been the right call so far.