Biggest Washington Football Team Pro Bowl snubs of 2020

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LANDOVER, MD – NOVEMBER 08: Daron Payne #94 of the Washington Football Team warms up before the game against the New York Giants at FedExField on November 8, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

3. DL Daron Payne

Daron Payne is one of the more underrated pieces on Washington’s defensive front. Chase Young and Montez Sweat get a lot of the attention, but one of the reasons that the unit has so much success is that they’re able to collapse the interior of the pocket so well.

That responsibility often falls to Daron Payne. And it’s one that he thrives in.

This year, Payne has been a monster in the interior. He’s one of the league’s best run stuffers but also gets plenty of pressure. He has just two sacks, but that number isn’t indicative of just how often he is in the backfield in the face of quarterbacks.

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Payne also knows exactly what to do with his hands in every situation. He has forced three fumbles on the year thanks to his knack for knowing where the ball is as well as his strength. Even more incredibly, despite being a big, prototypical nose tackle, he has four pass defenses because he has been able to get his hands up and knock down passes.

Payne is the key cog on the interior that has glued the line together. He deserves recognition for the massive tangible impact he makes in all facets of the game. His production is similar to that of Grady Jarrett, who did make the Pro Bowl this year, so one could argue that he could’ve beaten Jarrett for that spot.

In a year without a game and without injury replacements and alternates, we’ll never know how far off Payne was from making it, but one thing is certain: Nobody would’ve batted an eye had he gotten in.

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