Daron Payne

28-Year-Old Defensive TackleDT

Washington Commanders

2024 Defense Stats

TCKL

SACKS

4.0

INT

2025 Projections

TCKL

SACKS

INT

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2025 Fantasy Outlook

There was no outlook written for Daron Payne in 2025. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.

RANKS

IDP

Bye Week 12

Height 6'3"

Weight 320

DOB 5/27/1997

College Alabama

Drafted 1st Rd 2018 #13 Overall

Assuming leadership role at OTAs

DTWashington Commanders

June 6, 2025

Payne (knee/finger) has been participating in OTAs, Zach Selby of the Commanders' official site reports.

ANALYSIS
Payne was unable to participate in Washington's NFC Championship Game loss to the Eagles, but he has recovered from his injuries ahead of the 2025 campaign. The defensive tackle has drawn praise from Washington's coaching staff for his leadership in the offseason, and Payne projects to be an important piece of the defense after recording 4.0 sacks in the 2024 regular season.

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NFL Stats

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2019

2018

2024 NFL Game Log

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2023 NFL Game Log

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2021 NFL Game Log

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2020 NFL Game Log

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2018 NFL Game Log

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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart

Snap Counts

Snap %

Commanders 2024 DT Snap Distribution See more data like this | See last season's snap counts

D.Daron Payne

J.Jer'Zhan Newton

J.Jonathan Allen

S.Sheldon Day

P.Phidarian Mathis

C.Carl Davis

C.Carlos Watkins

#% of Team Snaps

75762%

55646%

39733%

32627%

24820%

837%

30%

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#1 LDT

Commanders

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2024 Daron Payne Split Stats

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Measurables Review

How do Daron Payne's measurables compare to other defensive tackles?

This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.

Height

6' 3"

Weight

320 lbs

40-Yard Dash

4.95 sec

Shuttle Time

4.71 sec

Cone Drill

7.58 sec

Vertical Jump

28.5 in

Broad Jump

107 in

Bench Press

27 reps

Hand Length

9.38 in

Arm Length

33.00 in

Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Daron Payne See More

Gameday Injuries: AFC and NFC Championship Games

134 days ago

Sunday's AFC and NFC Championship Games feature mostly healthy rosters. Juan Carlos Blanco breaks down the handful of injury concerns as of early Sunday morning.

Exploiting the Matchups: NFL Conference Championship Games

135 days ago

The biggest mismatch of the weekend is clear, with Saquon Barkley already having scored four TDs against the Commanders this season. RW's Jerry Donabedian has the full breakdown.

Exploiting the Matchups: Divisional Round Start/Sit and Rankings

144 days ago

Jayden Daniels may face long odds to advance to the next round, but his chances of putting up a big fantasy score are much, much better. RW's Jerry Donabedian breaks down matchups for the

Weekly Rankings: Divisional Round Value Meter

145 days ago

Josh Allen and the Bills host Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in a matchup that nearly everyone wanted to see.

NFL Divisional Round Playoff Weekend Odds and Key Line Moves

146 days ago

NFL Lines Moves for the Divisional Round games this weekend. Betting Expert Michael Rathburn tracks all the moves including a reversal up in Buffalo as the Ravens have flipped to short favorites

Past Fantasy Outlooks

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

Payne has missed just one game in six seasons since Washington took him 13th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, but the quality of his performance hasn't been as consistent as his availability. He's often received poor PFF grades for run defense, though in 2022 he made up for it with career highs in sacks (11.5) and QB hits (20) in the first season of his four-year, $90 million extension. Payne then dropped off to four sacks and 11 QB hits in 2023, with his 53 tackles being a career low. That said, he's at least been remarkably consistent with the tackle totals, landing between 53 and 64 each season.

A 2018 first-round pick, Payne played out last season on a fifth-year option and ended up a big winner after logging career highs for tackles (64), QB hits (20) and sacks (11.5). He's missed only one game through five campaigns while doing solid work against the run and recording at least 54 tackles each year, but prior to 2022 he'd never had more than five sacks in a season. Payne signed a four-year, $90 million contract with $50 million guaranteed in March, staying in Washington alongside Jonathan Allen, Montez Sweat and Chase Young to form one of the best defensive lines in the league.

Payne is scheduled to play under a fifth-year option this season and isn't happy about it, presumably wanting a long-term contract. The 13th overall pick in the 2018 draft has never topped five sacks in a season, but he did have a career-high 13 QB hits last year, and he's recorded at least 54 tackles and 15 appearances in each of four seasons. That type of consistency makes him a bargain for Washington on the fifth-year option salary of around $8.5 million. Payne gets enough tackles to warrant consideration in some IDP formats, though a few more sacks would help too.

The 13th overall pick in the 2018 Draft, Payne has missed just one game through three seasons, including a 16-start campaign in 2020. He's solid as both a run defender and interior pass rusher, but perhaps not quite the superstar some might have hoped for in such an early draft pick. But Payne still is only 24, and he had a well-rounded stat line last season with 54 tackles, four pass defenses, three sacks and three forced fumbles. If he can add a few more sacks, Payne will start to make a name for himself in IDP formats.

Selected 13th overall in the 2018 draft, Payne is the biggest body on a defensive line loaded with first-round picks, checking in at 6-3, 320. He dropped off from five sacks as a rookie to only two last season, but he finished with 56 tackles for a second straight year, earning a 75.1 PFF grade against the run. Payne hasn't quite been the superstar Washington was hoping for, but he appears locked in as a starter at defensive tackle as the team transitions to a 4-3 base scheme under new defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio.

Payne is the second big name in the frightening Washington defensive line trio that includes Jonathan Allen and Matt Ioannidis, playing the nose tackle spot while the other two collapse the pocket from the end. It's rare for a nose tackle to rank highly as an IDP, but Payne is coming off a quietly brilliant rookie year, just missing 800 snaps and approaching 60 tackles as a 21-year-old. Payne's snap count is pretty close to maxed out, but his per-snap production is a threat to spike upward given his substantial developmental upside.

Surrendering a league-high 134.1 rushing yards per game is an effective way to miss the playoffs, and Washington is hoping that doesn't happen again after using its first-round pick on Payne at 13th overall. Although he wasn't expected to be taken that high, Payne was arguably the best run-stuffing interior lineman in the draft and shouldn't need any time to acclimate to the NFL before being inserted into the starting lineup. However, rookies in his position don't always see a full allotment of snaps off the bat, rendering Payne's IDP relevance largely dependent on how many snaps he ultimately receives.

More Fantasy News

Posts 4.0 sacks in 2024 season

DTWashington Commanders

Knee

February 1, 2025

Payne (knee/finger) recorded 42 tackles (22 solo), including 4.0 sacks, along with two pass defenses over 17 regular-season games in 2024.

ANALYSIS
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Not playing against Philadelphia

DTWashington Commanders

Knee - ACL

January 25, 2025

Payne (knee/finger) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Eagles, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.

ANALYSIS
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Questionable to face Eagles

DTWashington Commanders

Knee - ACL

January 24, 2025

Payne (knee/finger) did not practice Friday and is officially listed as questionable for Sunday's NFC Championship Game against Philadelphia.

ANALYSIS
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Logs DNP on Wednesday

DTWashington Commanders

Knee - ACL

January 22, 2025

Payne (knee/finger) didn't practice Wednesday.

ANALYSIS
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Will play against Detroit

DTWashington Commanders

January 16, 2025

Payne (finger) does not have an injury designation heading into Saturday's NFC divisional-round clash against the Lions.

ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors

Offseason work shining in OTAs

DTWashington Commanders

June 7, 2025

Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt told reporters Wednesday that Payne has stood out early in workouts and OTAs, Ben Standig of The Athletic reports.

ANALYSIS
Payne's production over the last two seasons hasn't matched his output from 2022, when he posted 53 total tackles, including a career-high 11.5 sacks, five pass defenses and one fumble recovery across 17 regular-season games, which earned him a four-year, $90 million contract extension in March 2023. His work ethic in OTAs has drawn the attention of players and coaches, with Whitt relaying that Payne "looks really good. He looks in tempo." Payne is expected to step into a bigger role in 2025 -- both on and off the field -- after two-time Pro Bowler Jonathan Allen was released by the Commanders in early March.

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