Dallas Cowboys 2024 Draft: North Carolina State LB Peyton Wilson Scouting Report

We continue our 2024 NFL Draft review of draft prospects that the Dallas Cowboys may be interested in. Today we're taking a look at North Carolina State linebacker Peyton Wilson.

Peyton Wilson
lb
north carolina state wolfpack
Senior
4 star recruit
6’4”
233 pounds
Hand – 9 inches (8%)
Arm length – 30 1/2 inches (6%)
Wingspan – 75 3/4 inches (29%)

history:
Peyton Wilson was an elite lacrosse player and state champion wrestler in high school. He chose North Carolina State University to play football, but was forced to redshirt shortly after playing with an ACL in one knee, followed by a second knee injury that required surgery in 2018. I suffered a loss.

In 2019, Wilson was healthy, but things were progressing somewhat slowly. He suffered an upper-body injury and had to miss the NC State game against Louisville, but still played a total of 366 defensive snaps. He recorded 69 tackles, 30 defensive stops, five lost tackles, and one interception during his first playing season with the Wolfpack.

In 2020, Wilson began to show his versatility and athleticism. He missed the beginning of the season to recover from his previous injury, but was sidelined early after separating his shoulders during the season finale game against Georgia Tech. He played 689 snaps and recorded 108 total tackles, 11 lost tackles, and two interceptions. He also recorded 20 pressures and three sacks as a pass rusher. In coverage, he really showed off his skills, finishing with a passer rating of 62.0.

In 2021, during the second game of the season against Mississippi State, Wilson suffered a major shoulder injury. He then had surgery on his left shoulder and will be out for the rest of the year.

The following year, Wilson tried to bounce back from an already checkered career. He suffered another upper-body injury, believed to be a shoulder injury, and left the season opener early. Wilson ended up playing all four quarters for the first time in two years, although he was forced to miss Week 2's game against Texas Tech as a precaution. He played 639 snaps on defense, recording 82 tackles, 12 lost tackles, one interception, and added 30 defensive stops.

In his final year at NC State in 2023, Wilson had a memorable season, starting every game for the Wolfpack. He recorded 138 total tackles (most in the ACC), 18 tackles for loss (second most in the ACC), three interceptions, and one pick-six. He also added 20 pressures and six sacks, and his passer rating of 47.2 allowed was the lowest of any linebacker in 2023. However, he left the game early against Clemson and was seen wearing a knee brace after the game.

Statistics for 2023:
715 Defense Snap
Total tackles: 138
18 TFL
67 Defense Stop
20 pressure
6 bags
6PBU
3 INT
1FF
1TD
0 penalty

nfl combine/Pro Day:
10 Yard Split – 1.54 seconds (90%)
40 yard time – 4.43 seconds (97%)
Vert- 34.5 (55%)
Wide range – 119 (63%)

Awards:
United States (2023)
ACC Defensive Player of the Year (2023)
Top Team All ACC (2023)
Chuck Bednarik Award (2023)
Dick Butkus Award (2023)
Top Team All ACC (2020)

scorecard:
Overall – 84.8
Speed ​​- 96
acceleration-91
Agility – 89
Strength – 78
Tackle-91
Run Stop – 85
Pass rush-74
Discipline-97

Good things:

• A very smart player who is always two moves ahead.
• Shows tremendous leadership and commands the defense very effectively.
• Elite speed and acceleration to corner the ball carrier in an instant
• He can cover sideline to sideline faster than any linebacker in this year's draft.Elite lateral movement
• A very capable tackler who can mount an aggressive attack when needed.
• Because of his strong grip, he rarely falls from tackles (wrestling background)
• Very smart in coverage and quick to break up passes.
• A very versatile plan and a wide range of skills make him very attractive

bad person:

• Records of wild injuries.Two anterior cruciate ligament injuries, serious shoulder injuries, and lower limb injuries
• Recorded a huge number of snaps over six years in college football, and is often used in college.
• He will be 24 years old when he is drafted.
• Lean and slim frame makes durability more of a concern
• Not a natural pass rusher
• His overly aggressive tendencies cause him to overplay.
• Insufficient size and strength to drop blocks
• His tackling range is very limited due to his lack of length to avoid blocks and small wingspan.

Fit:
Peyton Wilson is a high IQ player who understands the game at an elite level. His ability to play and perform under pressure while finding ways to develop his teammates shows great leadership skills. His tackling technique is perfect and if he messes with the ball carrier it's game over. He is also one of the best cover linebackers in this year's draft due to his size and speed. When he drops to cover a tight end or drops inside a receiver, he shows great instincts and anticipation, resulting in pass breakups and interceptions.

What Wilson struggles with is durability. Wilson suffered at least three major injuries during his college career. Given this fact and his playing style and size, you have to be concerned about how high you draft him. He's not a great pass rusher or someone you'd send into a blitz. He managed to survive odd out situations in college, but a smart pro player will pick him up in the NFL.

Overall, Wilson is a very high prospect with a lot of skill and athleticism who would work well as a “Will” linebacker in the NFL. His injury is a concern, coupled with the short longevity of the linebacker position, meaning he could be out late in Day 2. The question for him in terms of being drafted by Dallas is whether the front office is willing to take the risk given the team's history of injury-prone linebackers. However, he is reported to be coming to Dallas for the 30th visit.

Comparison:-
Sean Lee, Dallas Cowboys

School year:
Grade in the first half of the third round

Consensus ranking:
46th place
(Consensus ranking based on average ranking of 90 major scoring services)