Patrick Payton, Florida State: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Payton was a four-star recruit from Miami Northwestern Senior High School in Miami, Fla. in the class of 2021

Florida State’s defensive line hasn’t delivered this season. Patrick Payton was one of the program’s hottest names over the summer, but the first few games revealed he’s still a traits-based prospect who needs developing. Payton projects as a Day 2 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

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Patrick Payton, Edge Florida State: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior defensive end from Miami, Fla.

Background: Payton was a four-star recruit from Miami Northwestern Senior High School in Miami, Fla. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 329 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 180 for On3.com. Payton was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 77 grade out of 100. He originally committed to Nebraska before flipping to Florida State. Payton earned First Team All-Dade 8A-5A honors as a junior when Miami Northwestern won the 5A State Championship. He amassed 17.5 sacks as the team only allowed 12.4 points per game.

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2022 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, 2022 Honorable Mention Freshman All-American (College Football News), 2023 Honorable Mention All-ACC

Pros: Arm length checks box, gets upfield rapidly, long strides to cover ground quickly, some well-timed and explosive first steps, a few incredible first steps vs. Duke (2023), consistently got a step and turned the corner on Francis Mauigoa (2023), speed rush, some flashes of speed to power, hesitation move to draw the tackle forward, thrives in half-man rush, chops, spin move, swim move, long-arm move, feigns a long-arm before withdrawing and dipping shoulder to get under the tackle, slippery player who uses long strides to gain a step on tackles working the outside track, acceptable bend to shorten rush angle, some dip in hips and knees to lower pad level, counters inside when he sees a wide gap, frequently gets hands into passing lanes, analyzes and reads passing lanes well, quick to redirect and chase the ball, constant pursuit

Cons: Limited special teams experience and versatility, penalized five times in 2023, extremely lean build, likely lighter than listed weight, high-hipped, play strength, pass rush plan doesn’t run deep, lacks instant-win moves, counters are underdeveloped, needs to work more counters off his long-arm, lacks power to establish a long-arm move consistently, long-arms get broken and he loses his balance, power didn’t allow him to take advantage of Blake Miller’s wide hand placement (2023), power was easily squashed by Blake Miller (2023), inside counters fall flat, stonewalled by guards on stunts, struggles to battle through contact at the top of the arc, timing of hand usage, lacks elite bend, driven up and around the pocket, spin move is slow and mechanical, on the ground too often, struggles to anchor and set the edge vs. the run, sealed inside to surrender the edge, bounced out of the way by climbing linemen, slides off tackle attempts, dives for and misses tackle attempts

Overview: Payton lines up at 5-tech and wide-9 in three and two-point stances. He has limited special teams experience and versatility and committed five penalties in 2023. Payton’s build is high-hipped and extremely lean, but his arm length surpasses NFL thresholds. He presses upfield rapidly with long strides. His first step isn’t consistent, but there are flashes of an explosive get off. Payton captures the offensive tackle’s outside shoulder and turns the corner when he explodes off the line. He uses a speed rush and sometimes converts speed to power. Payton uses a hesitation move to slow the tackle’s feet and draw him forward before reaccelerating. He reduces his surface area and takes advantage of his angular frame with a half-man rush. The redshirt junior’s pass rush plan includes chops, spins, swims, and long-arms. He feigns a long-arm before dipping his inside shoulder below the tackle’s pad level and trying to turn the corner. Payton is a slippery player who uses his long strides to slide past offensive tackles. He lacks elite bend but is still able to flatten his rush angle to the quarterback with some bend and dip in his hips and knees. The All-ACC honorable mention counters inside when he spies a wide B-gap. His play strength puts him at a disadvantage against many offensive tackles, and he can’t fall back on his limited pass rush plan. Payton’s pass rush arsenal lacks instant-win moves, and his counters are underdeveloped. He needs to work more counters off his long-arm move. Payton doesn’t have the power to generate consistent displacement with his long-arm move and power rushes. He even struggled to take advantage of Blake Miller’s wide hand placement in 2023, and Miller is one of the lighter offensive tackles at a competitive ACC program. Payton’s inside counters are ineffective. He struggles to muscle through contact and maintain his balance at the top of the arc. The former four-star recruit suffers from tightness that limits his bend. He ends up on the ground too often in both the pass and run games. Payton gets his hands in passing lanes when he fails to reach the quarterback. He identifies throwing lanes and mirrors the quarterback’s throwing motion to swat passes down. The Florida native lacks the mass to set a consistent edge in the run game. Tackles twist or displace him to open run lanes. Linemen climbing vertically push Payton around. He is quick to redirect off of blocks and pursue the ball and plays with an excellent motor. Payton dives for and misses tackle attempts and slides off too many potential tackles.

Overall, Payton is a traits-based top 100 projection who lacks the power, deep pass rush arsenal, and polished hand usage to rank among the top edge rushers in the 2025 class. Payton has a top-50 ceiling and plenty of room for physical and technical development, but he needs to cover a lot of ground in 2024 to secure a top pick.

Role & Scheme Fit: Outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme

Round Grade: Late Third to Early Fourth Round

Size: 6'5", 254 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 07-05-24