4 Commanders players with the potential to dominate in 2023

Daron Payne - Commanders DT

To say Daron Payne responded positively to not having his fifth-year option picked up by the Washington Commanders would be a massive understatement. The defensive tackle finally put everything together last season - the finest of his professional career so far - which came with a deserved Pro Bowl selection after notching 11.5 sacks from the interior.

This left many wondering whether the Commanders would be able to keep Payne. Those who speculated needn't have worried, with Ron Rivera making the former Alabama stud his top priority this offseason.

Payne got the franchise tag to prevent him from speaking with other teams. Soon after, he was given a four-year, $90 million contract that came with $60 million guaranteed attached to keep him around long-term.

Now that Payne has his bag, it'll be interesting to see if he can replicate or perhaps even enhance his numbers next season. The lineman isn't the finished product - primarily down to his lack of run stopping consistency - but there's nothing to suggest he cannot make additional improvements during another summer under Jack Del Rio's tutelage.

After the Commanders gave Payne a whopping contract extension as a result of his 2022 efforts, the interior presence should be eager to prove he was more than worthy of such a commitment.