2021 NFL Draft Scouting Reports: Kwity Paye

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Kwity Paye, 6-4/272 Defensive End Michigan

Kwity Paye Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell

Strengths:

Fast pass rusher

Burst off ball

Dangerous speed to run the arc and get around the corner

Speed-to-power rush ability

Can fire to the inside

Dangerous speed rusher at tackle in the sub package

Can dip underneath tackles

Loose hips

Nice ability to redirect

Will make a second effort

Agile; not stiff

Serious closing speed; rare for an end of his size

Has a burst to close on the quarterback

Functional strength, length

Ability to use hands and feet at same time

Good hand chop

Quality motor

Can fit a 4-3 or a 3-4

Athletic upside

Weaknesses:

Somewhat raw

Not as productive as his skill set suggests he should be

Could use refinement of pass rushing moves

Not a lot of experience, only 19 starts in college

Bites on misdirection too often

Gets covered up some in the ground game

Summary: Michigan has not put it all together to become a championship-caliber team under Jim Harbaugh, but the program has produced a number of early-round defensive line prospects for the NFL. Taco Charlton and Rashan Gary were first-round picks with big-time skill sets, and Paye will keep the tradition going in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Paye first earned playing time in 2018, recording 28 tackles and two sacks. With Gary moving on to the NFL, Paye became a feature of the line in 2019, and he had a quality year, showing a lot of potential with his total of 50 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

The Wolverines looked like they had the makings of a dynamic edge rush tandem in 2020 with Paye and Aidan Hutchinson. The duo dominated Minnesota in the season opener, but soon after, Hutchinson went out for the year and nagging injuries cost Paye game action. Over his final season of college football, Paye totaled 16 tackles and two sacks.

As a pass rusher, Paye is a fast defender who fires into the backfield and closes on the quarterback in a hurry. Paye has the speed to fire off the ball and the ability to sink his hips to get underneath tackles as he runs the loop around the corner. For a player of Paye’s size, his closing speed and ability to pursue scrambling quarterbacks are very impressive, and he has athleticism to redirect in space. Paye also possesses functional strength and can use his hands and feet at the same time to shed blocks. A hand chop if just one technique he uses to slap blockers away while moving around them. Thanks to his good combination of size and strength, Paye is a dangerous weapon when he moves inside to defensive tackle in the sub package.



Paye is a solid defender in the ground game as well. He has the strength to hold his gap and not get blown off the ball. Paye also gives a good effort and will pursue to the ball. He was covered up somewhat at times at Michigan, but that wasn’t shocking given his lack of experience. Paye’s strong frame and good size should help him end up as a good run defender in the NFL once he gains more experience and development from pro coaches.

For the next level, Paye could stand to continue to refine his pass-rushing moves and diversify how he attacks defensive tackles. Paye did not produce as much for the Wolverines as his skill set suggests he should have, so finishing more plays will be a point of improvement. Paye would be a great fit as a base end in a 4-3 defense and can move inside in the sub package as well. He also has sufficient athleticism and agility to stand up as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

Paye is a consensus first-round pick for the 2021 NFL Draft. He could end up as top-20 selection.



Player Comparison: Justin Tuck. Paye’s size, speed, and ability to rush from the inside in the sub package remind me of Tuck when he was in his prime years with the Giants.

2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Choose Player 2021 NFL Draft Player Previews - Home Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville Jhamon Ausbon, WR, Texas A&M Aaron Banks, G, Notre Dame Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama Carlos Basham, DE, Wake Forest Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas Jabril Cox, LB, LSU Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky Wyatt Davis, G, Ohio State Landon Dickerson, C, Alabama Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame D'Wayne Eskridge, WR, Western Michigan Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State Paris Ford, S, Pittsburgh Pat Freiermuth, TE, Penn State Kenny Gainwell, RB, Memphis Richie Grant, S, Central Florida Najee Harris, RB, Alabama Kylin Hill, RB, Mississippi State Trey Hill, C, Georgia Jevon Holland, S, Oregon Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati Talanoa Hufanga, S, USC Creed Humphrey, C, Oklahoma Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State Mac Jones, QB, Alabama Patrick Jones, DE, Pittsburgh Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami Kelvin Joseph, CB, Kentucky Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama Walker Little, OT, Stanford Hunter Long, TE, Boston College Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan Tre' McKitty, TE, Georgia Davis Mills, QB, Stanford Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU Elijah Molden, CB, Washington Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M Dan Moore Jr., OT, Texas A&M Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue Dylan Moses, LB, Alabama Israel Mukuamu, CB, South Carolina Jamie Newman, QB, Wake Forest Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Osa Odighizuwa, DT, UCLA Azeez Ojulari, LB, Georgia Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington Joseph Ossai, LB, Texas Jayson Oweh, DE, Penn State Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah, LB, Notre Dame Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State Kwity Paye, DE, Michigan Ronnie Perkins, OLB, Oklahoma Jaelan Phillips, DE, Miami Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota Aaron Robinson, CB, Central Florida Quincy Roche, OLB, Miami Larry Rountree, RB, Missouri Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State Trey Sermon, RB, Ohio State Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU Rashawn Slater, C, Northwestern DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina Trey Smith, G, Tennessee Marquez Stevenson, WR, Houston Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida Kyle Trask, QB, Florida Joe Tryon, DE, Washington Jay Tufele, DT, USC Payton Turner, DE, Houston T.J. Vasher, WR, Texas Tech Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State Rashad Weaver, DE, Pittsburgh Javonte Williams, RB, North Carolina Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State Marvin Wilson, DT, Florida State Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

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