If the Pittsburgh Steelers want to have a dominant defense this season, they are going to need several young players to step up. That list includes Joey Porter Jr., Derrick Harmon, Nick Herbig, and Keeanu Benton. The Steelers have one of the league’s oldest rosters, but they are hoping their young talent can fill in the gaps.
One player who will undoubtedly see an increase in playing time is Payton Wilson, the 2024 third-round pick from North Carolina State.
Wilson had a highly successful rookie season, racking up 78 tackles despite only starting four games with the Steelers. And with Elandon Roberts off to Las Vegas, Wilson is now expected to be one of the team’s starting linebackers next to Patrick Queen.
In the latest episode of the No Huddle Show on Stacking The Box, Tommy Jaggi and Marcus Mosher discussed one player at every position who will have a breakout 2025 season. Wilson earned the linebacker nomination from the hosts as both project him to have a massive season in Year 2 with Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh Steelers LB Payton Wilson could be among the biggest breakout players in the NFL in 2025
Wilson played 492 snaps as a rookie, but that snap total should double in 2025, assuming he stays healthy. That has always been the biggest knock on Wilson as he’s had an extensive injury history, but there is no doubt about what type of player he can be when he’s on the field. The Steelers are obviously hoping that he can fight off the injury bug and become their next star linebacker.
The No Huddle Show goes live at 11:30 AM ET every Monday on YouTube as the pairing discusses the latest NFL news, rumors, and moves across the league. Make sure you stay up to date on all things around the league via the Stacking The Box YouTube channel.