Each draft cycle there’s a participant — or extra — who waits a bit of longer than anticipated to listen to their identify known as.
One such instance from the 2024 NFL Draft is NC State linebacker Payton Wilson.
Whereas off-ball linebackers have seen their positional worth slide in recent times, given the emphasis on the passing recreation within the trendy NFL, Wilson entered draft season as one of many high gamers on the place. In response to the Prime 100 board put collectively by our personal JP Acosta Wilson was the 61st participant general, and the second-highest off-ball linebacker in his rankings, behind Michigan linebacker Junior Colston.
In response to the Consensus Huge Board compiled by Arif Hasan at Extensive Left Soccer, Wilson was the Forty fourth-ranked participant general, and once more the second-ranked linebacker, behind Texas A&M linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.
But because the third spherical wound down, Wilson was nonetheless ready for his identify to be known as. It was a shock for just a few totally different causes, past the rankings on each the SB Nation large board and the Consensus Huge Board. In any case, Wilson had a stellar last season at NC State, successful the Bednarik Award (given to the perfect defensive participant in faculty soccer) and the Butkus Award (given to the perfect linebacker). He racked up a career-best 138 tackles, together with 17.5 for a loss (additionally probably the most within the league) with six sacks, three interceptions and 10 passes defended.
However the motive for the autumn?
His harm historical past.
Wilson battled a lot of accidents throughout his time in highschool and faculty. He suffered a torn ACL throughout his last highschool season, and a second knee harm early in his faculty profession. He additionally suffered a shoulder harm that lower his 2021 season brief.
That was simply a part of the story. On Friday evening Ian Rapoport of the NFL Community reported that Wilson is lacking an ACL in one among his knees:
Simply now on NFL Community @rapsheet reported on Payton Wilson’s fall within the draft: “one among his knees doesn’t have an ACL” … if that is true his efficiency the final two years is totally outrageous.
— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) April 27, 2024
That slide ended when the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Wilson with the 98th general choice, making him the best off-ball linebacker drafted by the group for the reason that Steelers drafted Devin Bush within the first spherical of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Rapoport elaborated on that harm historical past shortly after the choice:
From our NFL Draft protection: The #Steelers chosen at No. 98 a stud LB with stellar tape (however very actual harm historical past) — NC State LB Payton Wilson. Regardless of all that, by no means misses video games and had one million tackles. pic.twitter.com/zaRRSUcsfp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 27, 2024
After the decide, Wilson talked about his strengths, and the way he suits in Pittsburgh. “My versatility speaks for itself,” mentioned Wilson. “I’m able to play within the field in addition to drop into protection.
“Rising up watching the Pittsburgh Steelers protection, that’s the manner I mannequin how I play. Arduous, quick, bodily and taking part in as robust as you possibly can play. Tremendous excited to get with everybody there and proceed to raise my recreation.”
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin highlighted his manufacturing, and his instincts as a linebacker.
“He was a man we had excessive on our board,” mentioned Austin. “Appreciated him as a soccer participant. Very productive, quick, actually has good soccer instincts. All of the belongings you need in a soccer participant. Seeing him the place he was and having a possibility to get him, we thought that was a very good factor and we like the place we’re at with that.
“He brings some velocity to our protection. He brings some physicality to our protection. The flexibility to cowl guys. That’s what I have a look at.”
It’s typically mentioned that an important issues on the annual NFL Scouting Mix occur behind the scenes, from the conferences prospects have with groups to the medical examinations. That appears to have been the case with Wilson.
Finally, what he did this previous season at NC State — apparently with out an ACL in one among his knees — could communicate for itself. And if Wilson can duplicate that form of manufacturing on the subsequent stage, the Steelers could also be very glad that slide occurred.
