The Washington Redskins didn't overthink their first-round pick. And, it was a great one.
The Redskins were 32nd against the run last year. The New York Giants just added Penn State phenom runner Saquon Barkley with the second pick. Throw in Dallas' Ezekiel Elliott and Philadelphia's multi-attack, and Washington selecting a nose tackle was a no brainer. When Tampa Bay jumped ahead to take Vita Vea, the Redskins' choice was simple – Payne.
Was it a need pick? Absolutely. And there’s nothing wrong with that despite the cliched lies of personnel people that use best player available as a way of avoiding accountability. Teams pick for need all the time.
That Payne is a former college teammate of Redskins defensive end Jonathan Allen and linebacker Ryan Anderson should accelerate his comfort zone. But really, Payne is a plug-and-play pick as first-rounders should be.
Now hold off on your "House of Payne" signs. Give the rookie a chance, but this defensive line could be Top 10 in a year. Payne and Allen, plus Matt Ioannidis and Anthony Lanier is young talent most teams would envy.
Who do the Redskins take in the second round on Friday? They really, desperately, absolutely need a running back. Whichever of Ronald Jones and Derrius Guice is left is the pick. Just as the Redskins solved the run defense, they need to fix the running game. Do that and maybe the team has a chance at .500 this fall.