2018 NFL Mock Draft: Jets Successfully Suck For Sam

DT. Alabama. Da'Ron Payne . 26. player. 28. For whatever reason players today get thrown in a darker light if they’re considered “run defenders.” This despite coaches saying to this day that stopping the run is top priority for any defense. The Oakland Raiders should understand this better than most. Their run defense ranked among the worst in the NFL in 2016. No doubt they’re hoping that changes this year but they’re going to need a lot of help up front. <p>If Eddie Vanderdoes can’t provide it at defensive tackle, then Da’Ron Payne will. Alabama is a factory for defensive lineman, especially when it comes to stopping the run. Payne excels in this area, but that’s not all he can do. He’s shown plenty of flashes that he can impact the passing game as well. Sometimes going the obvious route is best when correcting a problem. Oakland does that here.</p>