Payton Wilson
Career Summary
NC State linebacker
Payton Wilson played linebacker at NC State, earning major national defensive awards in his final college season.
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High School
Multiple sports
Wilson won a state wrestling championship in high school and also played lacrosse. He earned the Raleigh News & Observer's Player of the Year and Male Athlete of the Year honors.
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College Career
Final college season
Wilson recorded 138 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss in 2023, leading the ACC in tackles per game. He returned an interception for a touchdown in NC State's win over Clemson.
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Path to the NFL
Steelers draft selection
Pittsburgh selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 98th overall.
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Career Accomplishments
National defensive awards
Wilson won the Butkus Award and Bednarik Award in 2023. He was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and earned unanimous first-team All-America recognition.
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30604, 00-0039741, 2000-04-21, Payton Wilson, Payton, Wilson
MFT PLAYER RANKINGS
Current player ranking
MFT Score: 81.8
2026 preseason baseline. Position-relative and updated through the site’s weekly review process.