#11 Patrick Payton,
EDGE, Florida State
Introduction
All-22 Film Exposures
Strengths
Weaknesses
Summary
Florida State Seminoles EDGE prospect Patrick Payton projects to be a starter at the NFL level, but will require key development early on. Payton currently measures out at 6'5" and 250 pounds. He is long and lean, winning often with a blend of length and speed. Payton plays with decent bend and agility, and can win quickly around the corner of offensive tackles. He does an adequate job at setting the edge in run defense, and has a high motor on most reps. He is comfortable as a pass rusher in a two-point stance and as a down lineman, and can fire off the line of scrimmage on either side (LE, RE).
Payton is packed full of traits that can be developed, potentially molding him into an elite pass rusher. However, there is room for improvement in multiple areas. Due to his leaner build, Payton lacks true power. He does not win consistently enough versus both pass protection and run blocking. His hand power isn't great (although hand usage is adequate), and from a physicality perspective, Payton gets stalled fairly often by offensive tackles and interior lineman. Payton will also struggle versus stronger tight ends who perhaps win in the weight and strength categories. Frustratingly, Payton is susceptible to giving up on these reps where he is beat to that "first punch". He seemingly gives up on his pass rush pursuit, which is surprising considering on most plays he has a high motor. The inconsistent effort from play to play is a concern. Although he has some bend and agility in his repertoire, Payton can occasionally play upright and stiff, easily giving up solid pad level and leverage.
In summary, Patrick Payton is a very polarizing prospect for me personally. Entering the 2025 NFL Draft cycle, Payton was my #4 EDGE prospect in the pre-season, and was (and still is) on my "My Guys" list. His film shows that he does exceptionally well at leveraging a blend of length and speed to beat offensive tackles. He is moderately disciplined in run defense, has a high motor on most plays, and can rush effectively out of varied stances with great burst. Although he is teeming with traits, Payton lacks ideal power as an edge rusher. He doesn't win consistently enough yet, and gives up far too early and often when initially overpowered by offensive linemen or blocking tight ends. He would benefit from maintaining consistent pad level and finding more fluidity. Patrick Payton is extremely talented, and has shown he is capable of producing amidst high-level talent. In 2022 and 2023, Payton was productive in deeply talented Florida State defenses. I am not sure if having to step into the "superstar" role this year and replace Jared Verse on the Seminoles defense has been overwhelming for him, but Payton has struggled immensely in his first three games of 2024, in which my concerns noted above were quite evident. His performances have not done his draft stock any favors. I do believe, however, that Payton can right the ship and let his talents and abilities shine.
Comments
Post a Comment