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Redskins: Daron Payne deserves a lot more hype than he’s getting

By Jacob Camenker

NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Da'Ron Payne #94 of the Alabama Crimson Tide catches the ball for a touchdown as Chad Smith #43 of the Clemson Tigers defends in the second half of the AllState Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 01: Da'Ron Payne #94 of the Alabama Crimson Tide catches the ball for a touchdown as Chad Smith #43 of the Clemson Tigers defends in the second half of the AllState Sugar Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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In 2017, the Washington Redskins biggest weakness came in their run defense. Rookie nose tackle Daron Payne should help change that, but he’s not getting the hype he deserves.

There’s no doubt that the biggest priority for the Washington Redskins during the 2018 offseason was to fix their run game on both sides of the ball. On offense, they lacked a true, three-down starter to help carry a big workload and take pressure off their quarterback. On defense, they were missing a talent at nose tackle, and as a result they finished the season with a poor run defense.

The Redskins were able to fix those areas during the offseason and more specifically, used their first two draft picks to fill the holes. Daron Payne and Derrius Guice will likely be starters at nose tackle and running back respectively. However, it’s the latter player that has stolen most of the attention.

Guice is certainly deserving of hype and attention. The No. 59 overall pick was thought to potentially be one of the better running backs in this draft class, and he has the potential to be a three-down back. Some were calling for him to be the pick at No. 13, though that would have been far too early for him. The fact is that Guice should be a solid starter early in his career, and he has the upside to potentially be a Pro Bowler in the future.

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While Guice has gotten a lot of hype, along with other players such as Trey Quinn, Payne has largely gone under the radar. That’s not to say that people aren’t aware of the big man’s presence. It just seems that as far as hype goes, he isn’t getting all that much. And there could be a reason for that.

Payne had good production in college, but the fact of matter is that he didn’t make a lot of splash plays. Save for a massive game against Clemson in the College Football Playoff, Payne wasn’t a player that was making big-time sacks. He had the interception, and later, a touchdown catch, against Clemson, but that really was the only flashy highlight film of the strong, well-built nose tackle.

That said, Payne has something that the Redskins desperately need. That’s run stuffing ability. Tipping the scales at 6-foot-2, 311 pounds, Payne has the frame needed to be an anchor in the middle of the team’s defense. He has tremendous athleticism as well, and that should allow him to potentially grow as a pass rusher. And at the very least, he will help make drastic improvements to the team’s 32nd ranked run defense from 2017.

And for those that want to say that the dead-last ranking for the Redskins run defense is due to injuries, that is a fair argument. However, Ziggy Hood was never a good fit at nose tackle anyway, and he graded poorly against the run. He was the starter there. Sure, with Zach Brown and Mason Foster both healthy, the team could have survived with him there. But Payne could be a top caliber run stuffer, and he could also help Matt Ioannidis and Jonathan Allen to improve their run stuffing efforts because of Payne’s abilities to eat up blockers.

Essentially, even with a fully healthy defensive unit, the Redskins might not be a top 15 run defense without Payne. But with him in the fold, the team should have a very good chance to improve and possibly crack the top 10 in that regard.

It must be understood what Payne brings to the Redskins. He’s an excellent athlete who will fill the team’s biggest need of the 2018 offseason and greatly improve their overall run defense. For that reason, he deserves a lot of hype. He will most likely start to get more once he steps on the field.

Next: 3 Redskins candidates to make the All-Rookie team

Payne is going to be a player to watch in 2018. And he could end up being the best of the team’s rookie class. It should be interesting to see exactly what he and Guice can bring to the table. If the Redskins have found two stars, they well could become a playoff contender for the first time in many years.

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