Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft was all about Wilsons for the Steelers.
WR Roman Wilson was sandwiched between two Michigan teammates when he went 84th overall to the Steelers — one slot after Blake Corum and one before Zak Zinter. Then, Pittsburgh ended the draft night fall of NC State LB Payton Wilson later in the third round, adding one more burst of confusion for Mike Tomlin when the the team's offseason program gets fully underway.
For the Steelers, Roman Wilson was a continuation of an offense-heavy draft. Pittsburgh loaded up on the offensive line in the first and second rounds, adding Washington's Troy Fautanu and West Virginia's Zach Frazier. That left some fans wondering when the organization would try and fill the void left by Diontae Johnson's exit. The Steelers waited out a deep wide receiver class and plucked the Rose Bowl hero in the middle of the third round.
The selection of Payton Wilson energized Steelers fans even more, as the Wolfpack standout was expected to be a second-round pick before a surprise slide due to reported medical concerns.
The Steelers are hoping to emerge as a serious AFC contender in 2024 and beyond, and the Wilson-Wilson-Wilson trio will need to step up for that to happen.
Russell Wilson.
— Christopher Carter (@CarterCritiques) April 27, 2024
Roman Wilson.
Payton Wilson.#Steelers pic.twitter.com/WIbDAh2DV2
Here's what you need to know about the connections between Roman Wilson, Payton Wilson and Russell Wilson.
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Is Roman Wilson related to Russell Wilson?
While they're both now part of the Steelers family, Roman Wilson and Russell Wilson are not related.
Roman Wilson was born and raised in Hawaii, while Russell Wilson was born in Ohio and attended high school in Virginia. There are no known family connections between the two.
Wilson and Wilson could become family very quickly if their connection on the field is a strong one. The Steelers badly needed receiving depth after trading Johnson to Carolina, so Roman Wilson should be able to step into a sizable role alongside George Pickens if he proves he's up to the task.
The Steelers spent the offseason addressing their offense, as they overhauled their entire quarterback room by bringing in Russell Wilson and Justin Fields before adding two offensive lineman to start their draft. With tough defenses lining up on the other side in the AFC North, Russell Wilson will need Roman Wilson to step up and emerge as a key complement to Pickens.
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Is Payton Wilson related to Russell Wilson?
No, Payton Wilson isn't related to Russell Wilson, either. They do have one connection, though: Both spent time at NC State. The younger Wilson was one of college football's best linebackers with the Wolfpack, while the elder Wilson started out at NC State before transferring to Wisconsin.
The Steelers likely didn't expect Wilson to still be on the board late in the third round, but knee concerns reportedly tanked his mid-second round draft stock. The NC State star had 17.5 tackles for loss in his final season with the Wolfpack, but NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Friday night that he doesn't have an ACL in one of his knees and teams believe he might only be limited to one contract in the NFL.
Despite the concerns, Wilson stayed on the field at NC State and could be the rare immediate-impact player found at the end of the third round.
Again, no, Payton Wilson is not related to Roman Wilson. The Steelers will boast three new Wilsons in 2024, but they will all have to get to know each other.
