4 Daron Payne replacements Commanders could target after first round

LUBBOCK, TEXAS - OCTOBER 31: Defensive lineman Perrion Winfrey #8 of the Oklahoma Sooners signals after the Sooners recovered a fumble during the first half of the college football game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium on October 31, 2020 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) /

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2. Logan Hall, Houston

Hall is a wild card in a myriad of ways as he largely played a three-technique for Houston. At 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, some experts believe he’d benefit from moving outside, akin to former Saints draft pick Marcus Davenport.

With that said, Hall more than held his own on the interior for the Cougars. Despite being undersized compared to most NFL lineman, Hall was rock-solid defending the run, earning a 78.0 run-defense grade this season, per PFF. That can be attributed to his explosive counter move and ability to get skinny and slip past blocks.

Of course, Hall doesn’t qualify as a like-for-like replacement for Payne. In 2021, the Alabama product logged just four snaps as a non-DT. While he was shifted around the line, he’s played almost exclusively on the interior in his career.

With Montez Sweat approaching the final year of his rookie deal, though, adding Hall’s versatility would be a worthwhile add for the Commanders, who could be perfectly positioned to draft him in Round 2 at pick No. 47.

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