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Todd McShay

Find the most comprehensive analysis on [Player Name], featuring Todd McShay’s evaluations. Official measurables, advanced analytics, and a scout’s eye provide the most in-depth breakdown of a prospect’s strengths and weaknesses, NFL draft projection, and potential at the next level.

Safety

VJ Payne

Grade66 /100
Pos Rank11
OVR Rank115
School
KSU

Experience

Played42
Started32

POSITION STATS LAST SEASON

Tackles
59
PBU
3
INTs
1
Todd McShay

Position-Specific Grades

COMBINE RESULTS

Height
6' 3 1/4"
Weight
206lbs
ARM
33 3/4"
HAND
9 1/2"
40-Yard Dash
4.4sec
Todd McShay
10-Yard Split
1.52sec

The Takeaway

The Player

Payne is an experienced and versatile safety with outstanding length, size, and top-end speed. He has the frame and athleticism to match up with tight ends and can turn and run with receivers and tight ends working out of the slot. He gets off the hash and closes well in two-high looks. He can recover when he gets caught out of phase. He’s a physical presence in coverage who delivers big hits and limits production after the catch. He drops some passes that he should catch, but he has a wide catching radius—he had an impressive one-handed interception against Texas Tech in 2023. He’s strong and long enough to compete in 50-50 and jump ball situations and can reach in and break up passes when he’s in phase. 

Payne’s too physical and grabby in coverage. He closes well once he breaks on the ball, but he takes a quarter count too long to trigger out of pedal in off coverage. He could do a better job of turning his head to locate the ball when he’s in phase with the receiver. He recorded 180 tackles over the past three seasons. He closes quickly running the alley and filling in on run support. There’s room for improvement when it comes to getting off blocks, but he’s strong enough to stack blockers, and he fights off some blocks. As a tackler, he’s not as reliable in run support as he is after the catch. He’s overaggressive and comes in too hot at times. He fails to wrap. He gets caught flat-footed in space. 

He wasn’t used much as a pass rusher in college, but he has intriguing upside in that area. He primarily lined up in the box but played 619 snaps at free safety and 540 snaps over the slot in his college career. He started 42 games, including 41 consecutive games, to end his career. He covered kickoffs as a freshman. 

The Draft

Payne grades out as a day-two pick, and he is one of 10 safeties who could go in the top 100 picks this year.

The Projection 

Payne should push for playing time in sub-packages and on special teams if he doesn’t win a starting job as a rookie. Nick Emmanwori, a 2025 second-round pick, is an optimistic comparison in terms of the role Payne might play, even if Payne is lighter and didn’t test as well.