Daron Payne
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Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne.
The Washington Commanders have an underperforming asset in defensive tackle Daron Payne — although his value hasn’t dropped enough that they couldn’t sucker another team into a trade.
With the 2026 NFL draft looming in 2 weeks and the Commanders short on picks, Fox Sports NFL reporter Ralph Vacchiano thinks that Payne could be prime trade bait for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In this proposal, the Commanders would get back a 2026 3rd-round pick (No. 88 overall) and a 2026 4th-round pick (No. 124 overall).
Payne signed a 4-year, $90 million contract extension before the 2023 season.
“Payne had 11.5 sacks in 2022 and looked like one of the best defensive tackles in the league. Since then, on some bad Washington defenses, he’s had just 11 sacks in three seasons,” Vacchiano wrote. “But he’s only 28 and his ceiling remains high, making him worth the gamble for the Jags. He’d give them the interior pass rush they were so obviously lacking last season. With Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen on the edge, Payne could make a big difference playing next to Arik Armstead in the middle. He’s in the final year of his contract, and due about $21 million, which could keep his trade price out of the first two rounds.”
Payne Called Top Trade Option for Commanders
It wasn’t long after the Commanders finished a miserable, 5-12 regular season that Payne’s name started popping up in trade rumors.
Pro Football Focus listed Payne among its Top 15 NFL Trade Candidates in January.
“The Commanders are a team under heightened pressure in 2026 following a 5-12 campaign this past season,” PFF’s Bradley Locker wrote. “Washington must improve its defense after ranking 31st in EPA per play allowed, which might include trading Payne up front. The longtime Washington standout has declined of late, playing three straight seasons with an overall PFF grade below 61.5 … Payne is not performing to the level of his lucrative contract. Now 28 and a free agent after next season, the Commanders may shed some payroll and pursue younger upgrades.”
Ugly Incident for Payne During 2025 Season
Payne’s 2025 season was most notable for an ugly incident against the Detroit Lions when he was suspended 1 game for punching Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in Week 10, forcing him to miss Washington’s Week 11 loss to the Miami Dolphins in Madrid, Spain.
Payne, a 2018 first round pick (No. 13 overall), punched St. Brown with under 2 minutes left in the fourth quarter after St. Brown scored a touchdown to put the Lions up 14-3.
It wasn’t the first time Payne threw hands during a game. In 2021, Payne was on the receiving end of a punch on the Commanders sideline in December 2021, when he poked defensive tackle and fellow Alabama product Jonathan Allen in the face, then Allen stood up and punched Payne in the face.
That fight occurred during a 56-14, blowout loss to the rival Dallas Cowboys late in a season in which the Commanders finished 3-14.
“I don’t think it takes a rocket scientist,” Allen told ESPN’s John Keim when asked about the incident. “If you look at how that game went, emotions are high, things are high, things happen.”