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Atlanta Falcons: Forecasting the future edition 3

By Erik Sandelin

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: A detailed view of the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 27: A detailed view of the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images) /
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Looking at potential players the Atlanta Falcons can target in the 2018 NFL Draft, our third edition focuses on Alabama defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne

Welcome to the third edition of Forecasting the Atlanta Falcons future. Edition one was focused on a nose tackle as Washington’s Vita Vea was examined. The second edition looked at the same position with Christian Wilkins of the Clemson Tigers. Let’s keep the trend going by looking at another guy to play in the middle of the line;

Da’Ron Payne DT Alabama 6′ 2″ 308lbs

I was honestly surprised to see Alabama defensive tackle Da’Ron Payne listed at 308 on the Crimson Tide’s website, as he has previously been listed at closer to 320. Like the previous two defensive tackles previewed in this series, Payne is a member of the “17 for ’17: College football’s most freakish athletes” list from NFL.com.

Benching 545 pounds and squatting 635 pounds is something you’d sort of expect from a natural 300-plus pounder. Running a 40-yard dash at right around the 5.0 mark (5.03 this year and 4.93 last year) is definitely not.

Despite this athleticism, Payne has not yet established himself as a great pass rusher. For someone weighing in at “only” around 310 pounds, however, he is widely regarded as an excellent run stuffer. That weight is not sloppy weight, as the ‘Bama nose guard is very well-conditioned.

He displays good balance and hand usage, and is rarely on the ground. Despite not being a classic mammoth nose tackle in the mold of Ted Washington or Vince Wilfork, Payne is very good at handling double-teams. He’s also a very hard worker and would be a welcome addition to any locker room.

Next: Atlanta Falcons: Did Jalen Collins make himself expendable?

Despite his positives, his lack of established pass-rushing acumen thus far appears to have him lower on most draft boards than Vita Vea of Washington and Christian Wilkins of Clemson. While still regarded as a potential first-rounder, he may actually still be on the board when the Falcons draft (which hopefully won’t be until the 32nd pick, of course). This assumes, obviously, that the true junior elects to declare for the 2018 Draft.