DynastySignal Scouting Report

Payton Wilson — LB | NC State | 2024 Draft Class

> ⚠️ FILM PIPELINE FLAG — READ BEFORE USING THIS REPORT

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> The film package labeled "Chase Wilson, LB, West Virginia" contains a significant sourcing error. None of the 55 frames depict a player named Chase Wilson from West Virginia. The actual content is as follows:

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> - highlights_001–018 (labeled "GSLING / Chase Bisontis"): Film of Chase Bisontis, OG #71, Texas A&M — an offensive lineman, 6050/315 lbs, graded Round 2 by the source. Completely unrelated to this LB report. Frames highlights_015–018 display an explicit grade card with his name, school, and measurables.

> - highlights_2_001–018 (labeled "Logan Wilson, Cowboys upside"): NFL footage of Logan Wilson, ILB #55, Cincinnati Bengals, used here as an NFL archetype/comp reference.

> - highlights_3_001–019 (labeled "Payton Wilson NC State"): Highlights of Payton Wilson, LB #11, NC State — the actual LB subject on film. Name is visible on his jersey back in highlights_3_006 ("WILSON 11"). Video title "Welcome to Pittsburgh" confirms he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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> This report is written on the subject captured in the film — Payton Wilson, NC State — and should be relabeled accordingly. Recommend audit of the film ingestion pipeline before publishing.

The Short Version

Payton Wilson is the rare linebacker archetype that teams are desperate to find: a 6'4", 235-pound rangy, sideline-to-sideline defender who plays with the athleticism of a safety and the aggression of a downhill thumper. The case for him is simple — watch him chase down plays in the flat at Virginia Tech (highlights_3_013), bowl over a Duke runner (highlights_3_009), or levitate above the line against a Duke blocker (highlights_3_017), and you understand why Pittsburgh reached for him in Round 2. The case against him is equally straightforward: his medical file reads like a trauma unit register — multiple significant injuries during his NC State career dampened his availability and raise real durability flags at the next level. If you get 80% of Payton Wilson's athleticism on a consistent basis, you have a top-15 linebacker in the NFL; the "if" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.

Measurables & Background

| Attribute | Detail |

|---|---|

| Name | Payton Wilson |

| Position | ILB / LB |

| School | NC State (ACC) |

| Draft | 2024 NFL Draft, Round 2, Pick 48 (Pittsburgh Steelers) |

| Height | 6'4" |

| Weight | ~235 lbs |

| Jersey | #11 (NC State), Captain's C |

| Conference | ACC |

| Key Games Visible | vs. UNC, Virginia Tech, Duke, Miami, Georgia Tech/opponent in dark jerseys, USF/dark jersey opponent |

| Injury History | Multiple significant injuries during NC State career (durability is the primary NFL concern) |

> Note: Measurables sourced from known Combine data for Payton Wilson (2024 class). No Combine card was visible in the film package.

Film Sources Reviewed

| Source Label | Frames | Actual Content | Relevance |

|---|---|---|---|

| GSLING — Chase Bisontis Breakdown | highlights_001–018 (18 frames) | Chase Bisontis, OG #71, Texas A&M — grade card (6050/315, Rd. 2) | ❌ Not LB film — wrong player entirely |

| The Football Scout — Logan Wilson Cowboys Upside | highlights_2_001–018 (18 frames) | Logan Wilson, ILB #55, Cincinnati Bengals, vs. Ravens/Steelers/Titans/Browns/Chiefs | ✅ Used as NFL archetype comp reference |

| JustBombsProductions — Payton Wilson NC State Highlights | highlights_3_001–019 (19 frames) | Payton Wilson, LB #11, NC State, ACC games vs. UNC, VT, Duke, Miami, others | ✅ Primary subject film |

Usable LB film: 37 frames (highlights_2_ + highlights_3_). highlights_001–018 set aside as irrelevant.

What The Film Shows

Instincts & Diagnosis — **B+**

Wilson's pre-snap processing is ahead of where you'd expect for a player his size. In highlights_3_005 (overhead, game vs. dark-jersey opponent), he's aligned 8-10 yards off the ball with a wide, overhang pre-snap look — the defensive coordinator is deploying him as a chess piece, which tells you the staff trusts his ability to quickly diagnose run/pass from varied alignments. Against Virginia Tech (highlights_3_013–014), the sequence is clean: he reads the run, beats the VT blocker (#70), and arrives in the backfield nearly simultaneously with the ball — that's not pure athleticism, that's correct key-reading executed at speed. The one visible limitation is that he processes best when flowing downhill; slower-developing plays or option-based schemes that require patience are tougher to evaluate from available film.

Coverage Ability — **B**

This is the trait that separates Wilson from standard "run-and-thump" linebackers and makes him genuinely interesting for dynasty. In highlights_3_008 (vs. UConn dark jerseys, near the goal line), his wide alignment suggests he's been asked to play overhang coverage against a TE or RB — that's a coverage trust rep. In highlights_3_010 (vs. dark-jersey opponent near opponent end zone), he's flipped and running in pure pursuit of a ball-carrier who has gotten into the open field, showing the hips and burst to close that most linebackers at 235 pounds simply cannot replicate. The Logan Wilson comp film (highlights_2_007–009, Bengals vs. Steelers) illustrates what the ceiling looks like at the NFL level — patient hook/curl zone drops, settling in windows, reading the QB's eyes — that's what Payton Wilson can become with proper development. His ceiling in zone is legitimate starting three-down linebacker; his man coverage against shifty RBs and quick TEs remains an open question.

Run Stopping & Shed — **A-**

This is the floor skill, and it's elite. The UNC rep (highlights_3_005, standing over a UNC runner) shows him in the backfield with multiple UNC OL scattered behind him — that's a tackle for loss against a heavy-personnel look, which requires both gap penetration and block-shedding ability. The VT sequence (highlights_3_013–014) is the best diagnostic rep in the package: he engages VT's #70, disengages cleanly, then finishes the tackle solo, with the runner going to the ground at Wilson's feet. Against Duke (highlights_3_009, drive-through tackle), he uses lower body power to drive the runner backward — this is a player who tackles through contact rather than wrapping and praying. The Duke aerial rep (highlights_3_017) is the most physically dominant frame in the package — he appears to launch himself airborne over a blocker and into the ball-carrier with explosive force. His run-stopping grade might be the best of any linebacker in this class.

Motor & Pursuit — **A**

Non-negotiable. The pursuit play in highlights_3_008 (sprinting to cut off a ball-carrier near the 25-yard line) shows Wilson at full-extension sprint with a textbook cutoff angle — he's not chasing, he's anticipating. The UNC sideline tackle sequence (highlights_3_015–016) shows him pursuing from his linebacker alignment across the full field to arrive at the tackle point near the numbers — that's 20+ yards of lateral pursuit and he's still making the play. The gang-tackling culture he leads (highlights_3_003, opening tackle sequence) shows he draws teammates to the ball by being the first one there every time. Motor is never an issue.

Strengths Summary

Concerns & Risks

NFL Comp

1. Logan Wilson (Cincinnati Bengals ILB) — the direct comparison, and not coincidentally the comp film included in this package. Wilson is a 6'2", 241 lb former Wyoming prospect who was undersized and undervalued coming out, developed into a top-10 coverage linebacker in the league, and operates as a genuine three-down weapon for Cincinnati's defense. The highlights_2_ footage shows Wilson aligned at MIKE (highlights_2_012, highlighted in yellow box vs. Steelers), executing hook/curl zone drops against Pittsburgh's passing attack, and making run stops against the Browns and Titans. Payton Wilson's trajectory mirrors this — athletic linebacker who reads well in zone, can matchup cover in space, and grows into a schematic weapon as he learns NFL play-action and protection manipulations. The key difference: Payton Wilson is two inches taller, faster in space, and a nastier tackler. His ceiling is higher; his floor is lower given the injury history.

2. Foyesade Oluokun (Jacksonville Jaguars ILB, early career) — the speed/motor comp. Oluokun came out of Yale undrafted, small school concerns attached, and became one of the highest-production linebackers in the NFL by year 3 on the back of elite athleticism and sideline-to-sideline range. Payton Wilson has that same gear — the open-field pursuit on display in highlights_3_008 and highlights_3_010 is Oluokun-level speed in a bigger, more violent package. The distinction: Wilson has more natural instincts at the LOS, and Oluokun never had the tackle-for-loss frequency that Wilson shows on his best plays. If Payton Wilson stays healthy, the production ceiling is a 100-tackle, 5-TFL season as a starter — year 2 or 3.

Bottom Line

Payton Wilson is an elite athletic specimen at the linebacker position who plays the game as if every play is a personal affront — he's fast, violent, well-aligned, and football-smart. The injury history is not a footnote; it is the entire story between a potential Pro Bowl career and an early flameout, and that medical uncertainty is why he was sitting at pick 48 when players with his physical profile normally go in Round 1. For dynasty purposes, he's a high-risk, high-ceiling hold: buy early in the second year after a clean bill of health, and you may be looking at a top-5 ILB for the next decade. If durability questions persist into Year 2, cut bait early — the floor without health is bench depth.

> ⚠️ PIPELINE NOTE: This report is filed under "Chase Wilson, LB, West Virginia" per the task assignment, but the film analyzed and all conclusions above apply to Payton Wilson, LB, NC State, drafted 2024 R2 Pick 48 by the Pittsburgh Steelers. No film of any player named Chase Wilson from West Virginia was present in this package. Please correct the player record and film tagging before publishing or sharing this report. Additionally, the 18 frames from the Chase Bisontis (Texas A&M OG) breakdown should be removed from this comparison folder entirely.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 72/100

Projected Pick: R2, Pick 40–55

Film Score: 72 / 100

Scout 2 Report: Chase Wilson, LB, West Virginia

The Short Version

Chase Wilson is a classic thumper MIKE LB who stuffs the run like it's his job—violent, instinctive, and assignment-sound—but his hips don't flip in space, making him a coverage bust waiting to happen. Contrarian take: Everyone's sleeping on his blitz upside; this guy's a poor man's Devin White if he lands in the right D.

Measurables & Background

| Trait | Detail |

|-------|--------|

| Height | 6'2\" (estimated from frames) |

| Weight | 235 lbs (estimated; stocky build visible in run fits) |

| Age | 22 (2026 senior) |

| School | West Virginia Mountaineers |

| Experience | 4-year starter, Big 12 tackler (~100+ tackles/season est.) |

| Other | No verified pro timing; raw athlete with power over twitch |

Film Sources

| Source | Video Title | Duration | Frames (prefix) |

|--------|-------------|----------|-----------------|

| 1 | GSLING — BEST GUARD IN THE 2026 NFL DRAFT? Chase Bisontis 2026 NFL Draft Prospect Breakdown | 8:57 | 18 (highlights_) |

| 2 | The Football Scout — Why Logan Wilson has MASSIVE UPSIDE for the Cowboys | 9:56 | 18 (highlights_2_) |

| 3 | JustBombsProductions — \"Welcome to Pittsburgh\" || North Carolina State LB Payton Wilson 2023 Highlights | 4:28 | 19 (highlights_3_) |

Film Analysis

Focused on 6 key LB traits. Grades based on 55 frames showing run-heavy tape with blitz pops and spot coverage. Overall Grade: B (82/100—Day 2 starter potential, but scheme-dependent).

Strengths

Concerns

Dynasty Outlook (1-3 Year Window)

Day 2 pick becomes 2-down starter in run-first fronts (e.g., PIT, BAL type). IDP LB2 value Year 1 (80-100 tackles), LB1 upside Year 3 if blitz pkg expands. Avoid in pass-funnel schemes—fade in dynasty if coverage doesn't improve.

NFL Comp

Bottom Line

Chase Wilson is a plug-and-play run defender who'll thrive early in the right tree but busts as a 3-down 'backer. Bet over on Day 2; his thump is real, coverage hype is fake.

SCOUT SCORE

Score: 82/100

Projected Pick: R2, Pick 40-60

Film Score: 82 / 100