Redskins draft Da’Ron Payne in Round 1

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Da’Ron Payne & Derrius Guice at their introductory press conference. Photo credit: Jamual Forrest

April 26, 2018

Updated April 27, 2018, 9:30 a.m. ET

by Steve Thomas

The Redskins drafted Alabama defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne with the 13th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.  He will join his Alabama defensive teammates, last year’s first and second round selections Jonathan Allen and Ryan Anderson, in a revamped Redskins front 7.  Payne, who stands 6’2” and weighs 308 pounds, excelled in college, being selected as First Team All-SEC Team in 2017, and was the co-MVP of both the 2018 Sugar Bowl and the 2018 National Championship Game.

A critical member of the Crimson Tide’s vaunted defense for three years, Payne played 35 games in three seasons and posted 39 solo tackles, 63 assisted tackles, 3 sacks, and 1 interception, which he returned for 21 yards.  He is prototypical 1 technique defensive tackle who is known as a great athlete who plays with an aggressive attitude.  Payne has the ability to be disruptive in the run game, but also anchor against double teams in the interior of the defensive line and can also provide an interior pass rush.  As a nose tackle, he did not post gaudy tackle stats, and may not in the NFL either, but he is viewed by some as the best interior defender in the draft.

At the NFL Combine, Payne bench-pressed 225 pounds a total of 27 times, ran the 40 yard dash in 4.95 seconds, and had a 28.5 inch vertical leap.

Payne is expected to contribute immediately on a Redskins defensive front that was the worst in the NFL at defending the run.  Redskins head coach Jay Gruden praised Payne, stating to gathered media, “We really like Da’Ron…Big, strong, physical guy. You see what’s going on in our division with Saquon Barkley and Ezekiel Elliott and Philadelphia, the way they run the ball. Our ranking on defense wasn’t quite up to speed at 32nd and we feel like Da’Ron paired with Jonathan Allen and the rest of the guys…I think he’s a perfect fit.”

Gruden addressed the coaching staff’s initial thoughts as to how they would use their new defensive tackling, providing, “we will start him at nose and see how it goes. But like I said, when teams move their tight ends and nose will shift to three-technique and three-technique will shift to nose….if you watch him on tape, you can see that he never gets out of his gap. He knows where he is supposed to be – looping three-technique when he has to loop, he’s in the A-gap when he’s in the A-gap, in the B-gap when he’s in the B-gap.”

Payne himself also addressed the media in a conference call, and stated that getting the call from the Redskins was “a bunch of fun. I got to the chance to have my whole family here so I’m just glad I had the opportunity to make them proud, and I’m ready to get after it with the Washington Redskins.”  He additionally confirmed that he had been in contact with Alabama teammates, and now Redskins teammates Ryan Anderson and Jonathan Allen, stating, “I talked to Ryan a bunch and he kind of knew I was coming up there, and I know Jonathan was pushing the whole thing, so I’m kind of glad it happened.”

Gruden additionally addressed the Redskins goals for day 2 of the draft, stating, “It’s hard to say right now. Obviously we hope to accomplish getting a good player who is healthy and loves football. That’s the No. 1 thing. You just have no way of knowing. There’s 13 more picks – or 12 more – before we pick tomorrow. A lot of good players are still left, but 12 more good ones are going to be taken. So we’ll wait and see what’s left on the board and make a great decision that’s best for this football team.”

We’ll have much more on Da’Ron Payne and the rest of the Redskins draft pick on the next episode of The Hog Sty.

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