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

The 2018 NFL Draft is just over two months away, and there are only two weeks until the NFL Combine. It’s time to start taking a look at potential first round options, starting with Alabama’s Da’Ron Payne.

As the offseason drags along in the dead period following the Super Bowl, there are two major events coming up in the next few weeks. The bigger event is free agency, which will start in the middle of March. The Redskins figure to be active, now that they have answered their quarterback question, and they figure to have a shot at landing a big name to plug a hole on one side of the ball.

The other big event actually comes first. It’s the NFL Scouting Combine. The Combine will be held at the end of February and in early March, and it will allow teams a glance at the athletic upside of some of the best prospects in the 2018 NFL Draft. While it’s important not to put too much stock into the Combine performance, it undoubtedly will have an impact on what scouts and GMs alike think of some of the top talent at this year’s event.

One player who will be on display during this period is Da’Ron Payne. The Alabama nose tackle is among the best at his position, and he has a lot of fans in the scouting community. There’s a good chance that he will be a first round pick, and he should draw some interest from the Washington Redskins.

With that said, here’s an in-depth look at how Payne can sell the Redskins on his potential and become a first round pick in the draft.

The Case for Da’Ron Payne

There’s no doubt that Payne is going to be one of the best athletes in this draft class. Because of this, it’s probable that he will find success early on during his NFL career.

Despite his 6-foot-2, 320 pound frame, Payne has excellent movement skills and is a very fast player. He will be able to quickly shoot gaps and overpower interior defensive linemen at the nose tackle position, and that could make him strong against the run and the pass. In the modern NFL, collapsing the interior of the pocket is one of the most important skills, and Payne’s ability to do that will make him an attractive candidate.

Payne’s athleticism was on display during Alabama’s College Football Playoff run, and he looked particularly versatile against Clemson. Though he spent most of the game anchoring the defensive line, Payne worked hard on a play that saw him catch a pick that came right to him and return it for a big gain. In fact, you can see it here thanks to the SEC Network Twitter.

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Payne’s ability to, first of all, react to that ball and catch it was amazing. Then, seeing the big man get outside was impressive as well, and his speed and size were on display. It’s clear that he has the athletic upside to be something special from that play. And, the fact that the Crimson Tide would later throw a touchdown to him in that game showcases his versatility.

Payne should be able to play any position on a 3-4 line, though his best fit will undoubtedly come at the nose tackle spot. He would immediately be among the best athletes at that position across the league, so that alone is reason enough to take a shot at him. And if he blows up the Combine, which is quite possible due to his athletic ability, he could rise up and become a top 15 lock.

For the Redskins, Payne would be a plug-and-play starter at nose tackle. They have long lacked a quality player at that position, and they need to invest in a long term fix. Pairing Payne with Jonathan Allen could do a lot to improve their front seven, so considering him with the No. 13 pick would make sense. Also, it’s worth noting that the team has expressed interest in Payne recently, so they may want to pull the trigger on him earlier than some expect.

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.

Overall

There’s no doubt that drafting Payne would come with some risk. We’ve seen great athletes flop in the NFL before. Payne will have to continue to learn to leverage his athletic advantages into on-field results in order to become a quality three down starter at nose tackle.

At the same time, it’s quite possible that Payne, if available, would be the best player on the board. The most glaring hole for the Redskins comes at the nose tackle position, and there doesn’t figure to be many receivers or running backs worthy of being chosen with the No. 13 pick. So, Payne could end up being one of the best, if not the best, option for the team.

Imagining Payne working with Allen and Ryan Kerrigan is a lot of fun. Greg Manusky could get aggressive with the way he pressures opposing fronts and thanks to Payne’s versatility, he could move around the defensive line as needed. It would be nice for the team to have an answer at nose tackle for five years, so making this pick would end what has long been a problem area for them.

Next: Assessing value of potential first round corners

At the end of the day, Payne is going to get a lot of attention from the Redskins. He could end up being one of the better defensive linemen in this deep defensive line draft, and seeing the Redskins target him would hardly be a surprise. For that reason, Payne seems to be a very solid first round option for the team, so he’s worth keeping an eye on in the coming months.