The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t need Payton Wilson to be a star. They just need him to be reliable enough that the linebacker unit stops feeling like the weak link in a defense where the play at the second level is often critical.
Those are two different things.
Wilson has the athletic profile fans were hoping for when Pittsburgh drafted him. He can run, chase, cover ground, and bring the kind of speed this defense has lacked at inside linebacker for a long time. The idea of him growing into a difference-maker isn’t a stretch.
The problem is that the projection of Wilson only works if the Steelers can trust him as more than just promising. Based on ESPN’s breakdown, they aren’t entirely sold.
Payton Wilson and Patrick Queen leave the Pittsburgh Steelers with a linebacker gamble
In ESPN’s “Ranking 2026 NFL rosters: Best projected starting lineups,” Mike Clay believes Wilson could make the “Year 3 leap” but also notes that he struggled to keep Cole Holcomb and Malik Harrison at bay in 2025.
While it could change with a revamped coaching staff, how the Steelers used him in 2025 says plenty. Even though Wilson played all 17 games and finished with 126 tackles, two sacks, and an interception, he started only four games. Harrison started nine of his 11 games with Holcomb chipping in three more starts after spending the 2024 season recovering from a devastating, career-threatening knee injury.
Combined, Harrison and Holcomb made 12 starts to Wilson’s four. He’s talented enough to project forward, but not established enough to quiet the competition behind him
Year 3 for any player should mean the game is slowing down. The reads come quicker, and the physical traits start showing up with fewer mistakes.
Pittsburgh badly needs that version of Wilson, especially next to Patrick Queen. The Steelers have enough pass-rush firepower to wreck passing games, but none of it fixes a defense that can be attacked between the tackles or manipulated underneath.
Wilson needs to show the defensive staff that he's worth being used more effectively. The Steelers need to know whether Wilson can handle the physical and mental grind of the position without the defense having to constantly protect him.
If he takes the leap, Pittsburgh suddenly has speed and range at a position that’s been unsettled in recent seasons. If he doesn’t, the Steelers are back to square one, asking their front and secondary to cover for a linebacker room that hasn’t earned full confidence.
Add us as a preferred source on Google