Over the following few months, we’ll be breaking down the entire rookies added by the Jets through the draft and as undrafted free brokers. We proceed right now with security VJ Payne.
The 22-year previous Payne is listed at 6’3” and 206 kilos and was a seventh spherical pick of Kansas State. Payne was a two-time all-Massive 12 honorable point out in his faculty profession, during which he began 42 of 52 video games and racked up over 200 tackles and 4 interceptions.
Payne was a three-star highschool recruit and headed to Kansas State the place he began the opener as a real freshman. For many of the remainder of the 2022 season, he was in a reserve position however then began the final three video games of the 12 months.
For the remainder of his profession, Payne was a beginning robust security for the Wildcats, posting not less than 57 tackles, three tackles for loss and an interception in every season. His most efficient 12 months was 2024, during which he set profession highs for tackles (64), tackles for loss (3.5), cross breakups (six) and interceptions (two) to earn an all-Massive 12 honorable point out.
His 2025 season was really his finest, although, though it wasn’t as statistically productive. He as soon as once more earned an honorable point out for his efficiency.
Throughout the pre-draft course of, Payne was invited to the scouting mix and took part within the Shrine Bowl.
Payne was extensively anticipated to be a mid-round choose, so it was shocking to many who he was nonetheless obtainable for the Jets to pick him within the seventh spherical.
Let’s transfer onto some extra in-depth evaluation of what Payne brings to the desk, primarily based on in-depth analysis and movie examine.
Payne has excellent size, though he might most likely do with including a number of kilos to his lanky body.
He turned heads on the scouting mix when he ran a 4.40 within the 40-yard sprint and posted a 127-inch broad soar. He additionally managed a 35-inch vertical.
At his professional day, Payne participated within the agility drills and posted outcomes that had been about common for his measurement.
He didn’t carry out a bench press within the pre-draft course of.
Payne performed a flexible position in faculty, usually taking part in nearer to the road of scrimmage extra typically than he was employed in a deep position. He performed loads of snaps within the field and within the slot.
Payne’s cross protection was a key space of progress for him in 2025. When he was focused, opposing quarterbacks noticed their completion share drop from 68 p.c within the earlier season to under 50 p.c in 2025 and he gave up much less down the sector with no 30-yard performs surrendered. He additionally didn’t quit multiple landing in protection in any season.
In 2023, he had barely been focused instantly apart from on dump-offs, so his position had expanded considerably in 2024 and opposing groups exploited him at occasions.
One factor he did nicely in 2025 was to carry his personal in direct matchups with a few of the Massive 12’s higher tight ends. Within the matchup with Michael Trigg – a latest UDFA signing for the Cowboys, who many anticipated to get drafted – Payne held Trigg to no catches on three targets. Towards different defenders, he had eight catches on 10 targets for over 150 yards.
In protection, he was typically required to line up in an off protection matchup in opposition to a slot receiver or latched onto a protection project downfield.
When he would line up deeper, he confirmed some first rate vary when patrolling middle area.
Payne’s on-ball numbers are nothing particular however he did make performs at occasions with 14 cross breakups and 4 interceptions in his profession as he makes use of his size nicely to disrupt on the catch-point and shows good closing pace and timing.
He showcased spectacular athleticism to give you this one-handed interception.
His different three interceptions had been pretty simple performs on wayward passes and he additionally dropped one final season.
Payne is a productive tackler, able to chasing gamers down in pursuit and hitting with good pop.
Nevertheless, he did miss too many tackles at occasions, as he was sometimes responsible of overpursuing on cut-backs and attempting to make arm tackles.
He missed eight tackles in 2025, though this represented a marked enchancment by way of sort out effectivity over 2024.
He had 4 pressured fumbles in his faculty profession.
Payne has been productive in opposition to the run, though scouts imagine he might assault the road of scrimmage with extra aggression. He isn’t shy about taking over a blocker however generally must show extra urgency to get off blocks and usually fares higher when he makes use of his quickness to beat a blocker to his spot.
He does play with good self-discipline, although, and his efficiency grades have usually been strong on this space.
Payne didn’t blitz fairly often however his strain charges had been strong when he did. Formally, he solely had one sack, which got here in his freshman season, though he did have one other one which didn’t rely as a result of it got here on a two-point conversion.
On that play he got here unblocked off the sting and made an enormous hit, however this one noticed him chasing the quarterback down after he escaped the preliminary rush.
Payne could also be anticipated to contribute extra on particular groups on the NFL stage than he did in faculty. He didn’t play a lot on particular groups throughout his collegiate profession, particularly within the final three seasons.
He had one particular groups sort out in his profession.
Payne had some huge hits at occasions and was regarded by some specialists as a “thumper” within the run recreation.
He could be handsy at occasions in protection. Nevertheless, in his profession, he solely had 9 penalties, seeing a discount from 2024 when he had 5, to only two in his ultimate season. Each of those had been for cross interference.
Payne is thought to be somebody who shows good on-field intelligence and reads and responds nicely in protection.
Nevertheless, in his recreation movie, there are a handful of massive performs and touchdowns that concerned him apparently blowing an project or being concerned in a protection mix-up.
Payne was a staff captain with the Wildcats, having developed right into a mature chief over the course of his profession. He’s assured and has displayed resilience and toughness throughout his profession.
Payne hasn’t had any reported harm points throughout his profession, during which he performed in all 52 video games for the Wildcats.
Payne presumably can have an analogous position to his Kansas State position if he can get on the sector with the Jets. He isn’t prone to play as a deep security however could possibly be employed across the line of scrimmage and within the field.
Along with his success matching up in opposition to tight ends in 2025, you surprise if he might maybe be groomed for a task as a specialist eraser.
In some ways, Payne shares similarities with one other seventh spherical security that the Jets picked up later than anticipated within the draft; Antonio Allen. The Jets tried him in that tight ends eraser position and later as a Brandon Browner-style huge press nook, so maybe Payne could possibly be experimented with in comparable methods.
Payne is a greater athlete than Allen, whose final failure arguably had extra to do with poor instincts than a scarcity of potential, so perhaps he can have extra success in the event that they lean on him to carry comparable issues to the desk.
Payne was one of many highest ranked gamers obtainable on most specialists’ boards when the Jets chosen him and generally you find yourself questioning down the highway why they lasted that lengthy. This isn’t all the time the case although, and maybe we’ll see a few of the components that led to his slide if he struggles to make an affect in preseason.
Even so, Payne improved in 2025 and has a mix of size, athleticism, expertise and manufacturing that makes it laborious to see how he fell that far. Opinions recommend his smarts and perspective are strong too.
The one factor that’s obvious from his movie is that he has had some blown coverages up to now, so maybe groups weren’t as excessive on his instincts as draft analysts had been. Even so, with the optimistic attributes he brings, the Jets might be hopeful they will construct his confidence of their system and have good communication as a unit so these sorts of issues don’t occur to him frequently.
The Jets have loads of different choices at security however aren’t precisely overflowing with depth, so hopefully Payne can get within the combine and show that NFL groups had been flawed to miss him.
