Getty Image / Nicholas Faulkner
When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson in the 3rd round of the 2024 NFL Draft last month, many observers thought they had picked one of the steals of the draft.
After all, he was arguably the most productive linebacker in the country last year at North Carolina State, and his testing numbers were superb. But, he fell drastically due to serious injury concerns.
The concerns were definitely founded. In fact, there are two problem areas for Wilson in terms of injury risk.
The first is his left shoulder, which was surgically repaired during his career at NC State. But, doctors are skeptical about the results of the operation.
The second problem area are his knees. Wilson has had two torn ACL’s, and it was discovered during the draft process that he didn’t have an ACL at all in one of his knees.
That’s certainly rare for an elite athlete to not have an ACL in one of his knees. But, Steelers fans surely remember that legendary wide receiver Hines Ward didn’t have an ACL.
Here’s where the story gets wild, though. According to Payton Wilson, he didn’t even know that he was missing an ACL! Here’s Steelers Now with more.
“I really don’t have a clue,” Wilson said when asked at rookie camp on Friday what it means that he doesn’t have an ACL. “When I went to the combine, that was the first time that I’d heard of it. I haven’t have problems with my knee since 2018. So, I mean, I’ve been blowing and going for a long time now with what they call a bum knee. In my head, I’ve been playing like this for so long, it doesn’t bother me. My knees don’t bother me. I’m not gonna have a problem with it.”
Yeah, it’s pretty nuts that he simply didn’t know he was missing an ACL. What’s even crazier is how well he played without one.
Wilson won nearly every major defensive award in college football last year, taking home both the Bednarik and Butkus Awards. He had 138 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and three interceptions last year.
If he can stay healthy, Payton Wilson could be the next great Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker in a city that loves its linebackers.