Despite being the reigning Butkus Award winner and Bednarik Award winner at North Carolina State as the nation’s best linebacker and defender, linebacker Payton Wilson plummeted down draft boards due to medical red flags. That plummet stopped at No. 98 overall and the Pittsburgh Steelers Friday night in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Though he has two significant knee injuries in his career and a serious shoulder injury that hampered him in 2022, Wilson put together a dominant 2023 season. That wasn’t enough to keep him high on boards though. In fact, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport reported that 22 teams believe Wilson is a one-contract player.