When Daron Payne was selected by the Redskins in the 2018 NFL Draft, it was immediately assumed that he would take on the nose tackle role in the Redskins defense. That was always projected to be his role in a 3-4 defense throughout the whole draft process, so it was a foregone conclusion that he would play that position for Washington.
However, some have speculated that because of his superior athleticism, Payne might be a better fit at the five technique. While Payne does have the requisite athletic ability to succeed there, his better fit is at nose tackle for a couple of big reasons.