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Assessing Redskins First Round Options: Nose Tackle Da’Ron Payne

By Jacob Camenker

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Da'Ron Payne #94 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Da'Ron Payne #94 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 08: Jake Fromm #11 of the Georgia Bulldogs throws a pass under pressure from Da’Ron Payne #94 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first quarter in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA – JANUARY 08: Jake Fromm #11 of the Georgia Bulldogs throws a pass under pressure from Da’Ron Payne #94 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the first quarter in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

The Case against Da’Ron Payne

The one major point some will make about Payne is his lack of production at the college level statistically. In three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Payne has only three sacks. While nose tackles typically don’t generate as many sacks as other defensive players, that number would be alarmingly low for a first round caliber talent.

Comparatively, Vita Vea, another potential first round pick, has recorded 9.5 sacks over three years, and 8.5 of them have come in the past two seasons. Vea also weighs in at 340 pounds and is 6-foot-5, so why not take him instead of Payne? Based solely on production and size, taking Vea would make more sense.

Despite these concerns about production, Payne still has the athletic skill set necessary to succeed. It’s just a matter of understanding how to win battles against his opponents, as Jon Dove from With The First Pick pointed out when he scouted Payne during the college football season.

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"Payne needs to do a better job tying his plan of attack to his strengths. This includes looking to gain inside hands and controlling the action. Improving these areas of his game will allow him to be a potentially dominant run defender at the next level. As a pass rusher, Payne flashes the ability to generate some pressure. He has enough quickness to shoot the gap from time to time. However, he needs to work in more bull rushes and use his strength and power to his advantage."

If Payne can build on these areas, he will become a quality producer at the NFL level. For now, the main concerns are his lack of pass rushing prowess and the fact that his pass rushing production doesn’t match his potential. In the worst case scenario, Payne will be a quality two-down defender, but spending the No. 13 pick on a player like that could backfire. So, that would appear to be the major knock on Payne at the moment.

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