VJ Payne
22-Year-Old
2025 Defense Stats
TCKL
0
SACKS
0.0
INT
0
FF
0
TD
0
2026 Projections
Reeled in by Jets
The Jets selected Payne in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, 228th overall.
ANALYSIS
Payne started 42 games as a four-year defensive back at Kansas State. In his final season, Payne posted 59 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and an interception. The 22-year-old is a dependable tackler who played all around the formation in college. There's still work to do in coverage, but he's big (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) with some of the longest arms for a safety in the draft (33 and 6/8 inches), and his athleticism (4.40 40-yard dash) should make him a strong special-teams option if he can't crack the defensive rotation right away.
Payne started 42 games as a four-year defensive back at Kansas State. In his final season, Payne posted 59 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, five pass breakups and an interception. The 22-year-old is a dependable tackler who played all around the formation in college. There's still work to do in coverage, but he's big (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) with some of the longest arms for a safety in the draft (33 and 6/8 inches), and his athleticism (4.40 40-yard dash) should make him a strong special-teams option if he can't crack the defensive rotation right away.
NFL Stats
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
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2025 VJ Payne Split Stats
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Measurables Review
View College Player Page
How do VJ Payne's measurables compare to other safeties?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
* The Shuttle Time, and Cone Drill metrics are from his Pro Day. All others are from the NFL Combine.
Height
6' 3"Weight
206 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.40 secShuttle Time*
4.33 secCone Drill*
6.94 secVertical Jump
35.0 inBroad Jump
127 inHand Length
9.50 inArm Length
33.75 in