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Redskins Training Camp Profile: NT Daron Payne

By Jacob Camenker

AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 25: Da'Ron Payne #94 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after recovering a fumble during the first quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 25: Da'Ron Payne #94 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after recovering a fumble during the first quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Auburn, Alabama. (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) /

What Payne must show at training camp

One of the major concerns for Payne is his complete lack of pass rushing production. In three years at Alabama, Payne musted just three sacks. So, on paper, he doesn’t appear to be anything more than a two-down run stuffer.

That said, Payne is an elite athlete whose production may have been hurt by a talented supporting cast in Alabama. At the NFL Combine, Payne blazed a 4.95 second 40-yard dash, which is an excellent time for a 6-foot-3, 312-pound defensive lineman. He also showed great movement skills and excellent strength coupled with that athletic ability. As a result, Payne backed up what his tape showed. He is an athletic player with the potential to be a better pro than college player.

Part of the reason for this is that Payne was never the main piece of the Alabama defense. He was always working to open up pass rushing lanes for other guys. The outside linebackers and five-techs definitely benefitted from Payne’s ability to abosrb double teams at the line of scrimmage. He worked hard enough to open up possibilities from other defenders, and that was all Alabama needed him to do.

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The Redskins are going to be expecting a bit more than that. Since they spent a first-round pick on him, Washington is expecting Payne will become a three-down player and a better pass rusher at the NFL level. Given his athletic skill set, that is entirely possible. Especially since he will be working with the great defensive line coach, Jim Tomsula.

Still, Payne has yet to prove that he can be an effective pass rusher at the collegiate level. So, there’s reason for concern regarding that ability. In training camp, Payne will have to show that he has the ability to become a great interior pass rusher at the NFL level. If he can do that, he will easily be able to win a starting job and should play a high percentage of snaps. If not, he may be limited to running downs early in his career.

Payne’s problem is similar to that of Derrius Guice. Payne has the ability to be a pass rusher, but he doesn’t have the proven production. Guice has the ability to be a pass catcher but doesn’t have the proven production. While Guice’s pass-catching skills may require less development, there is still hope that Payne will be able to turn himself into a true impact player on all three downs. That starts at training camp where he will be tasked with besting the Redskins offensive linemen in one-on-ones.

The other question for Payne is, will he be a nose tackle or a 3-4 end? I have my money on the former position, but it’s possible that he could spend time at the latter. Still, having him playing nose tackle would be an upgrade for the Redskins team, so I can’t imagine any player really taking that away from him.

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