VJ Payne might be the biggest steal of the Jets 2026 draft class

The New York Jets made a number of intriguing picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they waited until the seventh round to make perhaps their most exciting selection of the class.

Former Kansas State standout safety VJ Payne lasted until No. 228 overall despite ranking 126th on the consensus board. That gap made him the best value pick in the Jets’ class on paper, and his athletic profile makes the slide even harder to ignore.

Payne is 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds with 4.44 speed. He also started 42 games at Kansas State and ended his college career with 41 consecutive starts. The physical tools and experience are there. His inconsistent tackling, ball skills, and lack of special teams experience help explain why teams remained hesitant.

Day 61 of your 2026 Jets Camp Countdown belongs to the PayneKiller, Major Payne, Here Comes the Payne...it’s VJ Payne.

1. Where VJ Payne stands entering Jets training camp
2. VJ Payne might be the Jets’ best draft lottery ticket
3. What would make 2026 a success for VJ Payne
4. Recent 2026 Camp Countdown Breakdowns

Where VJ Payne stands entering Jets training camp

Payne enters his first NFL training camp buried on a surprisingly crowded safety depth chart. Minkah Fitzpatrick, Malachi Moore, Dane Belton, and Andre Cisco all sit ahead of him entering the summer. That leaves Payne as the fifth safety and likely forces him to earn his roster spot through special teams.

The problem is that he didn't play much special teams at Kansas State. In fact, Payne hasn't played a single snap in kick coverage since his freshman year back in 2022. That doesn't necessarily mean he can't handle the role, however.

Payne has the size, speed, and explosiveness to become a useful special teams player, but he will need to prove it quickly. Seventh-round picks rarely receive much patience if they can't contribute on game days.

Payne does bring far more defensive experience than the average late-round rookie. He started 42 games across four seasons and earned honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition twice. This is a player who started the final 41 games of his college career.

That durability should help him earn a spot with the Jets. Payne has seen plenty of football, even if some parts of his game still need work. His quickest path to the roster is through special teams, but the preseason should also give him a chance to show the coaching staff what he can offer on defense.

VJ Payne might be the Jets’ best draft lottery ticket

Payne’s athletic testing looks more like that of an early-round prospect than the 228th overall pick. His 9.74 Relative Athletic Score places him in the top two percent of safeties in the database.

He ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, posted elite 10- and 20-yard splits, and recorded a broad jump that fell just short of 11 feet. Safeties with those numbers rarely make it to the seventh round, especially when they also have more than 40 college starts.

Payne's film, however, offers at least some explanation. The 22-year-old missed nearly 13 percent of his tackle attempts during his Kansas State career. That's a major concern for a safety with his size and physical tools. He also managed just seven pass breakups in four seasons, which is an underwhelming total for a player with his length and athleticism.

Still, teams usually use Day 3 picks on players with one or two standout traits. Payne offers size, speed, durability, and extensive starting experience. He also drew praise during the pre-draft process for his work ethic and desire to improve.

That gives him more upside than your typical late-round pick, even if he's still rough around the edges as an overall prospect.

Camp Countdown: Your guide to every player on the 2026 Jets roster

What would make 2026 a success for VJ Payne

Payne obviously doesn't need to push for a starting job as a rookie. Making the initial 53-man roster would likely already qualify as a successful first season.

To do that, he needs to become useful on special teams. Payne’s athletic profile should translate to kick and punt coverage, but he has to show that he can handle those assignments despite his limited college experience.

He also needs to develop into a more reliable tackler. Payne missed over 12 percent of his tackle attempts in college and never had a season with a missed-tackle rate below 10%.

The Jets can't trust him in a defensive role if he continues missing tackles at the same rate he did in college. Improving that part of his game would give the coaching staff more confidence in using him during the preseason and potentially on defense later in the year.

Payne has a better chance of sticking around if his physical tools start showing up in games. A few impact plays in August could separate him from the other players fighting for the final roster spots.

The Jets found a rare athlete with a strong college resume at the end of the draft. And come on, let's be real, VJ Payne just sounds like an All-Pro safety, doesn't it? He's at least got that going for him.

Recent 2026 Camp Countdown Breakdowns

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