Solid Starter
Da’Ron Payne, DT, Alabama – Round 1 
Last January, WalterFootball.com was first to report that the Redskins were high on Da’Ron Payne. Sources with Washington loved the idea of reuniting Payne with former teammate Jonathan Allen, the organization’s first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. Improving the ability to stop the run was a priority for Washington this offseason, and taking Payne in the first round will go a long ways to giving the Redskins a tough interior presence to their defensive line. Payne is a freak athlete who is fast, strong and physical.
The heavy nose tackle is shockingly explosive and agile for a big defender. Payne uses his burst to get into the chest of blockers and reset the line of scrimmage. As a run defender, Payne is superb. He stuffs his gap and is impossible to move. Even double teams are ineffective as Payne’s upper-body strength and ability to anchor holds his ground well at the point of attack. With his developed technique, Payne will shed blocks and flow down the line to make tackles on backs.
It is very rare to say or think that a nose tackle flies around the field, but that is the case with Payne. Last year, there were plays on which I saw him fly to the sideline to get in on tackles on wide receiver screens. His explosiveness and speed to cover ground is shocking. His motor is steady, and he shows real effort to get in on plays away from him.
In the pass rush, Payne can flash an ability to charge down the pocket and get after the quarterback. He has the speed to fire by blockers and a powerful bull rush to collapse the pocket. As a pro, he won’t be a big-time sack producer, but he can contribute with taking away the ability to step up in the pocket and chase the quarterback off their landmark. Payne also can eat up blocks to free up other rushers.
Payne should be a plug-and-play starter for Washington. With him stuffing lanes and eating up the interior of the line, the Redskins’ inside linebackers should really benefit with Payne causing offensive line problems in front of them. Jonathan Allen, Preston Smith and Ryan Kerrigan will also benefit from Payne making it hard for quarterbacks to step up in the pocket. Early in his career, Payne should become a quality starter for Washington.
2017: Ryan Anderson, LB
2016: Josh Doctson, WR
2015: Preston Smith, DE
2014: Trent Murphy, DE
2013: Phillip Thomas, S
Most Likely To Bust
Troy Apke, S, Penn State – Round 4 
This was a really hard decision for me because I loved the Redskins’ draft. I chose Apke because I think he could be limited to just being a backup with Washington. Last year, I had to pick a player for this designation and went with Monte Nicholson even though I really liked Nicholson as a player. Nicholson had consistency issues and questions with his makeup, hence I thought there was some risk there. But after an impressive rookie year, Nicholson and D.J. Swearinger form a nice safety tandem for the Redskins. Hence, I think Apke could have hard time breaking through.
Apke turned in a shocking 40 time at the NFL Scouting Combine of 4.34 seconds, but he didn’t play that fast at Penn State. In 2017, Apke totaled 55 tackles with five passes broken up and one interception. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder should be a core special teams player, but I think he might be a bust if he’s expected to become a starter.
2017: Monte Nicholson, S
2016: Su’a Cravens, S
2015: Matt Jones, RB
2014: Spencer Long, G
2013: Chris Thompson, RB
Potential Boom Pick
Derrius Guice, RB, LSU – Round 2 
I know of a few teams that had Guice rated as the second running back prospect for the 2018 NFL Draft behind only Penn State’s Saquon Barkley. Guice is a tough back with speed, size, and natural running skills. If it weren’t for a knee injury that slowed him down for part of the 2017 season, he probably would have been graded as a consensus first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Guice slipped some because of teams concerned about his personal makeup. After a tough upbringing, Guice has an edge to him, but he landed with a perfect team as Redskins Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Doug Williams and president Bruce Allen have had a history of helping these kind of players avoid trouble. Guice should quickly become a three-down starter and he has Pro Bowl potential. There isn’t a huge drop-off from Barkley to Guice, so getting Guice late in the second round while Barkley went second overall is a massive steal for Washington.
In 2016, Guice made a number of long runs, and there is no doubt that he has quickness. That could also be seen on his kick returns. He has a burst to the hole and a second gear to break free for long gains. Guice also possesses good vision and moves in the open field. He isn’t limited to being a North-South runner as he has the cutting ability to weave around a defense and dodge defenders in the open field. His lateral quickness makes him tough at the second level, as he is able to dodge defenders while accelerating for more yardage. For a lot of 2017, injuries sapped Guice of his top speed for longer runs and explosiveness to the hole. However, he flashed some of his old form in the second half of the year. Guice looks like a future feature back who should the engine of a potent rushing attack.
Guice is a great fit for Jay Gruden’s offense. He has receiving ability to be a three-down starter and should take the starting job once he is assignment sound in blitz protection. The Redskins have given opportunities to Rob Kelley, Samaje Perine and Chris Thompson, but all of the members of that trio are more suited to backup and rotational roles. Guice is of a different level, and I think he has the potential to be one of the top backs in the NFL under Gruden.
2017: Jonathan Allen, DT
2016: Kendall Fuller, CB
2015: Brandon Scherff, G
2014: Morgan Moses, OT
2013: David Amerson, CB
Future Depth Player
Tim Settle, DT, Virginia Tech – Round 5 
The Redskins grabbed their starting nose tackle in Da’Ron Payne in the first round, but they weren’t done building up the interior of their defensive line with Settle on Day 3. He had a second-day skill set and was a steal in the fifth round.
The heavy nose tackle is shockingly explosive and agile for a big defender. Settle uses his burst to get into the chest of blockers and reset the line of scrimmage. As a run defender, Settle is a load. He stuffs his gap, and it is very difficult to move him. In the pass rush, Settle can run over guards and can use his surprising explosion to collapse the pocket. When Settle gets free, he charges down the pocket in a blur, closing on the quarterback with surprising speed for a heavy nose tackle. Settle has active hands and continues to fight to shed blocks from offensive linemen. As a pro, Settle will never produce big sack totals, but he could be a functional contributor to a team’s pass rush with his ability to collapse the pocket.
Settle could be a valuable backup to rotate into the game to keep Payne fresh. In goal-line and short-yardage situations, they should be an excellent interior tandem as well. Before long, Settle will probably be a starting-caliber nose tackle, but he will be a rotational backup due to the presence of Payne. Settle was another astute selection by Doug Williams and should provide excellent depth.
2017: Jeremy Sprinkle, TE
2016: Nate Sudfeld, QB
2015: Martrell Spaight, LB
2014: Lache Seastrunk, RB
2013: Brandon Jenkins, OLB
Walt’s 2018 NFL Draft Grades:
2018 NFL Draft Team Grade: B . Follow Walter @walterfootball for updates.
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