NC State football linebacker Payton Wilson selected in NFL Draft. Here’s where he went

Add Payton Wilson to the list of former N.C. State players selected in the NFL Draft.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Wilson, from Hillsborough, as the No. 98 overall pick in the third round on Friday night.

“Super proud of him, the journey that he’s been on, and the way that he’s matured as a person. Everything that he’s learned, I think, is what I’m most proud of,” Bryse Wilson, his brother and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher, said in November. “But, on the football side of things, he’s become one of the better players in the country. All the work that he puts in, it’s cool to actually see it pay off for him.”

Wilson slipped significantly in the draft order, likely due to medical concerns. He was expected to be taken in the second round or early in the the third but six other linebackers were chosen before the Pack captain.

Photos: A look back at career of NC State’s Payton Wilson

Wilson struggled with injuries for a large portion of his career, which was brought up by league coaches in pre-draft evaluation from The Athletic. They noted his speed, ground cover and effort — Wilson ran 23.4 miles per hour to track down a Notre Dame opponent in September — but he underwent surgery in more years than not.

“He doesn’t have an ACL in his right knee,” one defensive assistant told The Athletic. “If he was healthy, he’d be the first (linebacker) drafted. I still think he’ll go later on Day 2. You’ve gotta expect that he’s only playing one contract. Anything you get more than that is a bonus. The kid plays like his hair’s on fire. His ability to play a block is an issue because he has really short arms (30 1/2) but the kid is friggin’ relentless. … If you get him in the third round and he’s a good player for you for four years, that’s not a bad pick.”

The linebacker played six years for the Wolfpack, amassing 402 total tackles, 202 solo, 48 tackles for loss and 15 sacks for a loss of 101 yards.

Wilson defended 20 passes, including seven interceptions, in his N.C. State career.

Wilson, however, finished his career at N.C. State with his best season to date. He notched 138 tackles, 69 solo, 17.5 TFL, six sacks and a pick six.

The local product became the program’s 11th consensus All-American and fifth unanimous All-American. He also earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and the Butkus (nation’s top linebacker) and Bednarik (nation’s top defensive player) awards.

At the NFL Combine, Wilson ran a 4.43 40-yard dash. It was the fastest time among the linebacker corps.

“That guy has just matured so much and has stepped up, not only his game, but just his maturity level, his leadership skills and what he brings to this football team on and off the field,” defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said last fall. “I’ve never seen anybody grow as much over the last couple years as what he has.”

This is the ninth straight year a Wolfpack player has been selected in the NFL Draft.

Last season, offensive guard Chandler Zavala was picked No. 114 in the fourth round.

Wilson is the 10th N.C. State player to come off the board in the third round or earlier in the past decade, joining players like offensive tackle Ikem “Ickey” Ekwonu (No. 6, 2022), defensive end Bradley Chubb (No. 5, 2018), defensive tackle BJ Hill (No. 69, 2018).

“Things are just about to start,” Bryse Wilson said. “He gets drafted, makes it to the NFL, that’s when it really starts. You do all the work in college to get to that point, then you start over at a different level. You have to keep working hard and keep going.”