Is it Guice? Is it Vea? Is it James? Is it Ward? Do the Redskins trade up? Will the Redskins trade down? Will all 12 teams in front of the Redskins have aneurysms right when they pick and let Fitzpatrick fall to 13? There are so many questions about who the Redskins will draft in the first round. The idea that they will take Guice is gaining tons of traction, as is the notion that they can trade back to recoup the third round pick they gave up for Alex Smith. Wherever they draft in the first round, the Redskins should heed the old boxing adage of "it's not about how well you throw a punch, it's about how well you take a punch" and draft this DT that will help them stop the run.
Note: All scouting information comes from CBS Sports , NFL Combine Results Page, plus help from Walter Football, Ourlads, Drafttek, and DraftScout. Please check these sites out for all the work that they do in informing all of us laypeople about every possible college prospect.
Round 1 (13th Overall Selection): Da'Ron Payne DT (Alabama)
Height: 6'2" Weight: 311 lbs 40 yrd: 4.95 Reps: 27 Cone Drill: 7.58
Vita Vea looks like the no brainer pick at 13, but all indications coming from Redskins Park make it seem as if the Redskins' front office may be lukewarm about the underdeveloped nature of Vea's game. Payne is the more polished pick, and with Jonathan Allen and Ryan Anderson already on the team it makes sense that Bruce Allen would want to take a page out of Lefty Driesell's playbook and make Redskins Park the Alabama of the North. Payne would bring the run stopping presence and mentality the Redskins need in order to allow Alex Smith the time to operate an offense. Payne was a Top 20 national high school recruit who weighed in at 350 pounds before slimming down at Alabama. That may have been a good thing since he started the past two seasons at nose tackle for the Crimson Tide amassing 33 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks, 1 INT, and 4 passes defended during that time. Scouts note that Payne already plays like a professional, with an impressive level of natural strength and high leadership qualities. Scouts also highlight his ability to eat up blocks, and teams will need to scheme for him due to his ability to anchor the defensive line and command double teams. Payne has a high level of athleticism for the position, and he showed signs this past year that he is honing that athleticism into better pass rushing skills. He also displayed an ability to beat linemen with both power and skill, and he has the ability to range beyond his assignment in order to make plays. Payne is not without his downsides. His biggest issue is that he does not always get a good jump off the snap, which causes him to lose leverage at the line of scrimmage. Scouts also note his pedestrian pass rush skills that are easily contained if his first move does not work. This could limit Payne to playing solely on early downs in order to stop the run. All players have downsides, however, and Payne's upsides would be a worthy investment of a first round pick by the Redskins.
The Redskins need an answer in stopping the run in order to prevent Alex Smith from having to whip the ball up and down the field to keep pace with the other team. While Vita Vea may be literally, and figuratively, the bigger name on the DT Draft Board, Payne may be more of what the Redskins are looking for in a nose tackle. He has a high level of strength and athleticism for a guy his size, and while Vea has about 20-30 pounds on Payne, Vea lacks the consistency found in Payne's game. There may be less of a learning curve with Payne and Allen having played together at Alabama, and that collective camaraderie is something that has been lacking on the Redskins defensive line for some time. That sense of unity will be needed to stop a daunting list of running backs this season that includes David Johnson, Ezekiel Elliot, Mark Ingram/Alvin Kamara, Leonard Fournette, Jay Ajayi, Devontae Freeman, a rejuvenated Derrick Henry, and possibly Saquon Barkley if the Giants get froggy with their second pick. The Redskins will need to win the battles up front in order to prevent these backs from dictating the pace of the game, and drafting Payne to bolster the D-Line will do just that. It may be tough to justify taking Payne with the 13th pick so there may be a trade down in order to regain the 3rd round pick the Redskins lost in the Alex Smith trade. But the Redskins should not let perception get in the way of drafting the player that they need. If no good offer comes the Redskins way to trade out of 13 then they will need to pull the trigger on Da'Ron Payne and have him finally be the anchor of that 3-4 defensive line they have been looking for or so long.
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