North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson was a phenomenal college player. Wilson played five seasons for the Wolfpack, improving every season until he became a household name in 2023.
During his final season for the Wolfpack, Wilson won the Butkus Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award, ACC Defensive Player of the Year and was a unanimous All-American.
He was ready for the NFL.
The on-field workouts at the 2024 NFL Combine began Wednesday, and Wilson stole the show. Measuring in at 6-foot-4, 233 pounds, Wilson looks like a starting NFL inside linebacker. When it came to the workouts, no defensive lineman or linebacker ran a faster 40-yard dash than Wilson on Thursday.
A new Day 1 leader.
Payton Wilson of @PackFootball with a 4.44u. 👀
📺: #NFLCombine on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/lValfnTQGT— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2024
His final number came in at 4.43 seconds.
He crushed other workouts, too. For Wilson, he has the tape, experience, size and athleticism to be a dominant NFL linebacker. However, there is one knock against him: Injuries.
Wilson had two torn ACLs before he ever played a game in college and a season-ending shoulder injury in 2021. The medical concerns are real. Teams will view Wilson’s history differently. Wilson is a player NFL teams will want to visit with so they can get an even closer look at him. Some teams may take Wilson off their boards. He was completely healthy the past two seasons in college.
But there is so much to love about Wilson’s game. The on-field workouts match the tape. He plays fast. He is fast. His football IQ and ability to diagnose plays are off the charts. Wilson hits hard. He hustles. He is a respected leader. He is what a rebuilding team would love to have in the middle of their defense.
Enter the Washington Commanders. Under new head coach Dan Quinn, the Commanders aren’t going to neglect the linebacker position like the former staff. And general manager Adam Peters knows what an elite NFL inside linebacker looks like, as he drafted Fred Warner for the 49ers.
Could you imagine Wilson anchoring Washington’s defense? If the Commanders drafted Wilson to play inside, with Jamin Davis and another new addition on the outside, Washington’s linebacker corps would be the best it has been in years before ever playing a game.
Wherever Wilson lands, he’s an immediate contender to be NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s ready to help an NFL team on day one.
Is that team Washington? So much will depend on how the Commanders feel about his medicals. It seems unlikely that a new regime would bet heavily on a player with injury questions.
Wilson is a player who could end Washington’s struggles at inside linebacker as soon as he steps foot in the building.
