Pittsburgh Steelers second-year linebacker Payton Wilson is more confident than ever heading into the 2025 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to heavily rely on second-year linebacker Payton Wilson after the departure of Elandon Roberts in free agency. Luckily, Wilson seems as confident as ever in himself.
The 25-year-old already thinks he's one of the best players at his position in the league.
"We run a lot of man here. That's definitely been beneficial for my skillset. I feel like I'm one of the better cover linebackers in the world, to be honest," Wilson said. "I feel like any tight end, any running back that lines up out there, I'm willing to go toe to toe with them. I'm just excited for whatever role they give me."
The Steelers selected Wilson in the third round (No. 98 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft and it was difficult to keep him off the field.
Wilson recorded 78 tackles (49 solo), one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, one interception and two passes defensed as a rookie behind Roberts and Patrick Queen .
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Payton Wilson tackles quarterback Jalen Hurts in a game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 15, 2024 — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
He's going to have plenty of opportunities to build off his productive rookie season, too. Pittsburgh also signed linebacker Malik Harrison in free agency, but he will likely play the situational role Wilson did a year ago.
Wilson is excited to do just that after having to learn on the fly in 2024.
"I feel like last year, I was a little bit of a shell of myself, trying to learn everything," Wilson said. "I did it on the run, but this year, I'm excited."
In 2023, Wilson received the Butkus Award given annually to college football's best linebacker. Now he's looking to prove the same at the next level.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Steelers' Payton Wilson Makes Bold Claim Ahead of Second Season
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