The big man made his name known to the world in the Tide’s last two games of the season, but the hype surrounding Da’Ron Payne had been there all along. Some critics believe that he does not show up to play on every snap, but he will get a chance to prove them wrong as the Washington Redskins have picked him up with the 13th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
He recorded an incredible 102 total tackles, but only five tackles for a loss and three sacks. Against both Clemson and Georgia, he consistently used his strong hands to rip through linemen and bust through double teams, and did it so well it felt as though he was renting a spot in the opponents’ backfields. The fact that he was not nearly this dominant throughout the rest of the season has planted a red flag by his name for some teams, but the ability is apparent. The Redskins are needy, and willing to take that risk for a player that could become a star.
In Washington, he’ll get to pair up with a set of former teammates in Jonathan Allen and Ryan Anderson.
Stay tuned in to Touchdown Alabama for more on Da’Ron Payne’s fit with his new team and an outlook on his rookie expectations.
