disruptive, versatile DL with real backfield juice
Payne’s 2023 Virginia Tech season showed a clear playmaking profile: 31 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 5 quarterback hurries, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble in 13 games, with a season-high 7 tackles against Virginia.[3] His biggest differentiators are burst, backfield disruption, and scheme versatility, after earlier stints at outside linebacker, defensive end, and defensive tackle, but his value is tempered by a major 2022 injury and a rocky pro path that has included hamstring issues.[3][15][18] He fits best as an energetic front-seven depth piece who can create negative plays rather than as a pure anchor nose tackle.[3][18]
