AFC North rookies the Cleveland Browns should be most concerned with

Payton Wilson, LB, Pittsburgh Steelers

One of the more exciting — yet risky — selections this year was North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson. This past season with the Wolfpack, he racked up 138 tackles with six sacks, three interceptions, and 17.5 tackles for a loss.

The 6-foot-4, 233-pounder redshirt senior was phenomenal throughout his entire collegiate career and then showed out at the NFL Combine with impressive drills and a 4.43 in the 40-yard dash. Wilson had all the tools to be a first-round pick but there was a giant red flag — he's been injured often.

He had knee injuries dating back to his high school days that caused him to redshirt as a freshman in 2018. He then suffered a shoulder injury in 2021 that allowed him to medically redshirt and gain another year of eligibility. Between these injuries, Wilson had to fight through two dislocated shoulders in 2020.

All these concerns had him off the board for many teams but the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to roll the dice with their second pick in Round 3 — which was obtained when they sent Kenny Pickett to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pittsburgh typically has a strong defense, so they take a chance on a player who might not be 100 percent all the time. When he is on the field, however, Wilson is going to be a major problem. He's a game-wrecker who can stuff the run, blitz the passer, and cover tight ends. We all knew someone would take a flier on him, it's just too bad it was Pittsburgh.