Steelers' Payton Wilson: Massive performance in Week 9 win
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Wilson logged 14 tackles (10 solo) and two pass defenses (including one interception) during the Steelers' 27-20 win over the Colts on Sunday.
Wilson moved into a starting role Week 9 due to the absence of Cole Holcomb (illness). Wilson took advantage of the opportunity, playing 66 snaps on defense and 17 on special teams while leading both teams with a career-high 14 stops. He also registered his first interception of the season in the second quarter, when he jumped in front of a Daniel Jones pass intended for Josh Downs, which led to a 12-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers to Pat Freiermuth two plays later. Wilson and Holcomb have worked in rotation at inside linebacker for much of the season, though the former's performance during Sunday's win could earn him a larger share of defensive snaps moving forward.
Wilson tallied nine tackles (five solo) during the Steelers' 35-25 loss to the Packers on Sunday.
It was a busy night for Wilson, who played 43 snaps on defense and 28 on special teams while recording a game-high nine tackles. He was credited for his fourth start of the season, though he appears to be in a timeshare with Cole Holcomb at inside linebacker while Patrick Queen plays an every-down role. Regardless of whether he operates as a starter, Wilson has been productive when he's on the field and has logged at least five tackles in each of the first seven games of the regular season. The 2024 third-rounder is up to 57 total tackles on the year, and he is well on pace to surpass his total from his rookie season (78 tackles across 17 regular-season games).
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Steelers' Payton Wilson: Lowest snap rate of season
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Wilson recorded six tackles (three solo) in Thursday's 33-31 loss to the Bengals.
Wilson had a relatively productive game, but that covered up concerning usage. He played only 33 of 76 defensive snaps (43.4 percent), his lowest rate of the season, with Cole Holcomb seeing 42 snaps. Wilson has had an inconsistent sophomore campaign, and that looks likely to continue.
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Steelers' Payton Wilson: Makes seven stops in Week 6 victory
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Wilson registered seven tackles (four solo) in a 23-9 win over Cleveland on Sunday.
Of Wilson's seven stops, five came on defensive plays and two came on special teams. The second year-linebacker has posted at least five tackles in all five of his games so far this season. He's up to 42 tackles (including 1.0 sacks) on the campaign.
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Steelers' Payton Wilson: Gets seven stops in win
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Wilson recorded seven tackles (five solo) and a fumble recovery during Sunday's 21-14 win at New England.
Wilson recovered a critical fumble near the goal line early in the third quarter to help preserve what was a 14-7 lead. He also logged seven-plus tackles for the second consecutive game in Week 3. He's played his way into IDP consideration heading into a Week 4 tilt versus the Vikings.
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Steelers' Payton Wilson: Plays big role in rookie campaign
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Wilson tallied 78 tackles (49 solo), two pass defenses (including an interception), a forced fumble and two recovered fumbles -- one of which he returned for a touchdown -- over 17 games during the 2024 regular season.
After being selected by Pittsburgh in the third round of the NFL Draft, Wilson played in all 17 regular-season games for the team and was a key component of a three-player rotation at inside linebacker. He had two games with double-digit stops, and his biggest highlight may have been a fumble recovery for a touchdown in Week 13 against Cincinnati. Given his strong first campaign in the NFL, Wilson appears set to be key part of the Steelers' defense for at least the next few years.
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Steelers' Payton Wilson: Leads team in tackles
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Wilson made 10 tackles (four solo) in Sunday's 37-15 win over the Jets.
The rookie inside linebacker also played on more than 50 percent of the defensive snaps for the third time in four games. Wilson has recorded at least six tackles in each of the past four contests. He has 36 (22 solo) on the year.
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Steelers' Payton Wilson: Pittsburgh ends fall in third round
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The Steelers selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 98th overall.
Wilson would have gone much earlier than this if not for his extremely long injury history at North Carolina State. Wilson's right knee and both shoulders have required multiple surgeries at various points, and he heads into the NFL a 24-year-old rookie after spending so much time on the shelf. His strengths as a prospect are obvious -- at 6-foot-4, 233 pounds Wilson is freakishly fast (4.43-second 40-yard dash), and this lends well both to his pass-rushing and his coverage abilities. Wilson will never be the linebacker you want lining up in the middle -- he stands very upright and his arms are bizarrely short, making it easy for guards to grab him first -- but in the open field, very few ballcarriers can lose Wilson's pursuit.
