The legendary linebacker gave the newest Steeler a huge compliment
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected linebacker Payton Wilson out of North Carolina State with the No. 98 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Wilson was the consensus No. 1 linebacker in this class, but previous injuries, including the fact that one of his knees no longer has an ACL, worried teams enough to have him fall into the late third round. The league’s loss was the Steelers’ gain, as they add one of the top players in this class at premium value.
Wilson has been compared to Carolina Panthers legendary linebacker Luke Kuechly, as he has a lot of similar measurables, and their playstyles are also quite similar. Kuechly appeared on Up & Adams where he echoed those comparisons.
“A guy that I loved watching for a long time up at NC State– Payton Wilson,” Kuechly said.
The show then put a graphic up on the screen comparing Wilson’s combine numbers, as well as his height and weight measurables.
“There you go,” Kuechly said motioning to the graphic. “He’s taller than me and he’s faster than me.”
Kuechly is arguably the best linebacker over the last 15 years. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a five-time All-Pro. If Wilson is anywhere near that, the Steelers got one of the steals of the draft.