Jets 2026 seventh-round pick, safety VJ Payne from Kansas State, is an intriguing prospect.
Many thought he’d go before the seventh round, so he could turn out to be a steal for the Jets.
This pick might be more consequential than people realize.
Keep in mind the Jets didn’t address one of their biggest needs in free agency or the draft, for a coverage linebacker.
But you often hear the phrase “positionless football” in the NFL these days, so who’s to say that a safety, over 6-3, close to 210 pounds, and who runs 4.4, can’t essentially be a combo safety/linebacker who can help them cover tight ends and running backs better.
Payne got high marks for his tight end coverage while at Kansas State.
Look, he has a lot to work on, and was a tad inconsistent last year for the Wildcats, but this is a player who can fill a need for the Jets, somebody who can cover tight ends and/or running backs better than they did last year.
Linebacker Demario Davis was signed in the off-season, but he’s better against the run than the pass, especially at 37.
So keep an eye on Payne as a potential combination linebacker/safety coverage player who can help the Jets improve an area of weakness.
******
The new issue of Jets Confidential Magazine is out, and it is one of our best, chock full of inside stuff on Gang Green you don’t read anywhere else. To subscribe to the magazine, our Website Whispers (updated five days a week year-round), or both, click an option below. Jets Confidential – “For the informed Jets fan.”
