Much was made of the Washington Redskins revamped defensive line in the offseason. In recent years, the team’s front four was a glaring weakness, one that teams exploited weak in and weak out. Last season, the Redskins finished dead last in run defense, leading many pundits and draft analysts to believe they would bolster the unit in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Washington opted to go this route, despite the depth at the position in the draft class, and they came away with Alabama standout Daron Payne. Payne was expected to complete a unit already equipped with impact players such as Jonathan Allen, Matt Ioannidis, and fifth-round pick Tim Settle.