nfl draft 2024
Published
April 18, 2024, 7:00 a.m. ET
Eighth of an 11-part series. Coming tomorrow: Cornerbacks.
Payton Wilson didn’t like what he was hearing.
North Carolina State’s star inside linebacker noticed fans booing quarterback Brennan Armstrong during the team’s 48-41 win over Marshall on Oct. 7.
North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson works out at the combine. AP
So Wilson decided to act, using his postgame press conference as a platform to implore fans to support Armstrong.
“He stood up for a teammate,” N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren told The Post about that moment. “Talked about the right way to do things, and how much he loved our quarterback, how his teammates loved our quarterback and how the fan base should support him. You don’t just do stuff like that. That takes a lot of confidence and character. That was nothing that a coach told him to do. That was him being a great teammate in a tough moment.
“And that quarterback blossomed into a really good player as the year went on. And probably got the biggest standing ovation on our team on Senior Day. What coaches look for in a locker room is guys that take care of each other and stand up for each other in key moments.”
Fast-forward a few months, and Wilson was tearing up the NFL combine. He ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash, the fastest time among all linebackers. His 10-yard split (1.54 seconds) was tied for fastest at the position. His vertical jump (34.50 inches) tied for seventh-best. Broad jump? Also tied for seventh-best, at 9-foot-11.
Last year’s Chuck Bednarik Award winner (best defensive player in the country), Butkus Award winner (best linebacker in the country) and an AP first-team All-American, Wilson is expected to go in the second round of the NFL draft, though it wouldn’t be a shock if a team scoops him up in the first round.
He’s a tackling machine. He racked up 138 total tackles last year, the eighth-most in the country, and received a stellar 90.6 tackling grade from Pro Football Focus. But he’s certainly not one-dimensional, shining in coverage as well. PFF gave him an elite 90.4 coverage grade.
North Carolina State’s Payton Wilson dives for a touchdown following his interception during the second half of the game against Clemson. Getty Images
Measured at 6-foot-4 and 233 pounds at the combine, Wilson’s length combined with his freakish athleticism are his greatest strengths and what will most attract NFL decision-makers.
But for Doeren, who has been the Wolfpack’s head coach for 11 years, is tied for the seventh-longest tenure among head coaches in college football and has developed a plethora of future NFL players, something else stood out about Wilson.
“He literally plays the game to exhaustion,” Doeren said. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been around a guy that practiced or trained or played as hard as he does every rep. It’s uncanny how hard he goes, all the time. His energy is very contagious that way. He’s been through a lot in his journey, so he has a perspective of gratitude for playing that’s different than others, because he lost the game a couple of times to injury. … It’s special.”
Payton Wilson of North Carolina State participates in a drill during the NFL combine. Getty Images
That injury history is the greatest concern for Wilson, along with inside linebackers being increasingly devalued by the NFL in recent years.
Wilson tore his ACL in his right knee during his senior year of high school, then tore it again after arriving to N.C. State, forcing him to redshirt his first year. He played through two dislocated shoulders in 2020, which required offseason surgery, then subsequently played just two games in 2021 before needing another shoulder surgery.
But he’s stayed healthy the last two years, emerging as one of the best players in the nation.
Payton Wilson of North Carolina State participates in a drill during the NFL Combine. Getty Images
“Put on some extra weight, I’ve really honed in on nutrition and maintenance programs to keep me healthy,” Wilson said at the combine. “I think what I have going on is gonna keep me playing a long time in the NFL and I’m not scared of injuries. At the end of the day, they’re inevitable and I’m going to play every single play like it’s my last. Whatever happens, happens.”
Wilson also comes from a multi-sport background.
He was one of the best wrestlers in the country in high school, and his brother, Bryse, is an MLB pitcher for the Brewers.
“Wrestling instills a lot into you,” Wilson said. “When it comes to football itself, hand fighting, I think if I can get my hands on you, you’re coming to the ground. I understand leverage and torque, but wrestling is different. In football, if you mess up, you have 10 other guys to help you out. But wrestling, you mess up, you’re going on top of your head and you’re getting embarrassed in front of your mom, your dad, your friends. That mentality and anger and aggression, it instills in you.”
Aggressive and athletic. That’s certainly an appealing combination.
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2024-04-18 11:00:00
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