Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne spoke to the media Tuesday after day one of NFL Mini-camp, and the 26-year-old said he’s aiming for 13 sacks this season.
“I feel like that was my end goal last year and I ain’t get to make it there, so I just made it my goal for this year”, said Payne.
Payne was selected by Washington with the 13th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft after winning two national championships and being named first-team SEC in 2017 at Alabama.
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As a rookie, he burst onto the scene with five sacks and 56 tackles, making an immediate impact along the interior. His sack total dipped back down for the 2019 season, but the numbers increased in the following years and skyrocketed in the 2022 season. Payne went from 4.5 sacks in 2021 to 11.5 in 2022, which was enough to earn him his first Pro Bowl nomination. Payne will see fewer snaps this year with the addition of a healthy Phidarian Mathis, but he will likely still have double-digit sacks.
You can watch the rest of Payne’s Mini camp media availability below.
LIVE: DT Daron Payne speaks with the media after Day 1 of minicamp https://t.co/Z2oAAK87Xr
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) June 6, 2023
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