New York Giants Draft Prospect: LB Payton Wilson

Could the New York Giants use a Day 2 pick to add to their linebacker room?

Brandon Olsen | Feb 10, 2024

New York Giants Draft Prospect: LB Payton Wilson /

In this story:

Payton Wilson, LB

Height: 6’ 4 1/8"
Weight: 234 lbs.
Hands: 9”
Arms: 30 1/8”
Wingspan: 76 1/8”
Class: Sixth-year Senior
School: North Carolina State
Stats

Payton Wilson was ranked by 247 as the 39th overall recruit in the country out of high school in 2018. Wilson was ranked 4th for both outside linebackers and recruits from North Carolina before ultimately choosing the local North Carolina State over Notre Dame, Alabama, and North Carolina. Wilson redshirted as a freshman before playing in five seasons at NC State.

Strengths

Has the range to play sideline-to-sideline
Best zone linebacker in the draft, gets his hands on receivers running through his zone and reads the quarterback well
An explosive athlete that fires through the line as a blitzer
Has shown some pass-rush upside with both a rip and chop in his arsenal, not dominant but very good for an off-ball linebacker
A quick trigger against the run that helps him get to the rush lane and can go from the interior to outside the tackle box in a hurry
The motor of an absolute maniac on every single down
Plays with good leverage consistently, was an all-state wrestler in high school
Shows solid bend for an off-ball linebacker
Can get physical at the line of scrimmage in man coverage with a tight end

View more draft prospect scouting profiles.

Weaknesses

Has gone through multiple season-ending injuries, leaving legitimate concerns in his medicals for long-term durability
Will be 24 years old as a rookie, 28-29 by the time a second contract came around
Needs to add some functional strength - can deconstruct blocks but gets thrown off his track
Overpursuits ball-carriers sometimes trying to ensure he’s the first defender to the ball
Does a great job of wrapping up and securing tackles but too often gives up additional yardage - functional strength again
Aggressiveness as a run defender can sometimes get him out of position on play-fakes

Summary

Wilson is my top linebacker in the draft strictly going off of the film he put out this past season. Unfortunately, there are legitimate medical concerns for him long-term that teams will use the NFL Combine to further investigate. He’s capable of playing either MIKE or WILL on all three downs and can be a chess piece for a defense.

Wilson played primarily cover three at NC State, which was also the most commonly called coverage for new Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen with the Tennessee Titans.

Grade: 6.5B