LOCALS IN THE NFL
Former BYU LB Payton Wilgar Receives NFL Minicamp Invite
May 2, 2023, 6:07 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – Former BYU linebacker Payton Wilgar received an NFL minicamp invitation from the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Wilgar was presented with the opportunity after going undrafted in April’s 2023 NFL Draft.
Three former BYU players were selected in the NFL Draft. Following the seven-round event, four more former Cougars signed free agent deals with NFL franchises. Wilgar’s invite made him the eighth former BYU standout looking to earn a spot on an NFL roster as a rookie in 2023.
Wilgar will have the chance to earn a spot on a Chiefs team that posted a 14-3 record in 2022 and won the Super Bowl for the second time in four seasons.
Payton Wilgar will tackle you and your entire family. He’s just that good. pic.twitter.com/FFPUk5IMpD
— Hans Olsen (@975Hans) August 8, 2022
“Payton Wilgar had a lot of great plays. He is a converted safety to linebacker. He has great instincts in the game of football so we played him at all three different positions at linebacker,” BYU head coach Kalani Sitake said of his former player. “He is versatile. He can also play on the line of scrimmage as a defensive end. In the NFL, I would project him as an outside linebacker, but he also has experience at inside linebacker. I think he has a good chance of possibly making it on a team because he has so much flexibility and can do a lot of different things.”
BYU LB Payton Wilgar is a physical player whether at Sam or ILB. Takes on blockers but is nimble enough to avoid them, too. Brings force with his tackles. Agile for his size, covers ground in the open field to wrangle RB or WR to the ground. Special teams ace. #SnapScout23 pic.twitter.com/QG60kbWKLX
— Chad Reuter (@chad_reuter) July 6, 2022
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About Payton Wilgar
Wilgar played for the Cougars from 2018-22.
Last season, Wilgar had 30 total tackles, nine solo tackles, and one pass breakup before his season was cut short due to injury.
During his five seasons with the Cougars, the Dixie High School product recorded 198 total tackles, 103 solo tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, one sack, five interceptions, two forced fumbles, five quarterback hits, and 10 pass breakups.
Wilgar played in 45 games for BYU.
#20 in our 60in60 is a classic BYU LB Payton Wilgar! He has all the gifts needed to be Byu’s tackle leader. pic.twitter.com/AJykzqQMex
— Hans Olsen (@975Hans) August 8, 2022
Payton Wilgar at BYU’s Pro Day
40-Yard Dash: 4.69 seconds
Bench Press: 16 reps
Vertical Jump: 32 inches
Broad Jump: 9 feet and 9 inches
3-Cone Drill: 7.71 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.32 seconds
RELATED: BYU Pro Day 2023 Results
Kyle Ireland is a Locals in the NFL Insider for KSLSports.com and co-host of the Yards After College Podcast. Follow him on Twitter (@kyleireland) and Instagram (@kyleirelandksl).
