VJ Payne
S, Kansas St. · 2026 NFL Draft, Round 7, pick #228 (NYJ)
Early read Live board
Too early for a verdict. The live 2026 board blends draft slot with games played so far (6.6 weeks in), so rookies move as production comes in.
| ESPN pre-draft rank | #124 overall (#11 S) |
| Age at draft | 22 |
| School | Kansas St. (Power conference) |
| Combine | Invited · 4.40 40 |
| Height / weight | 6' 3", 206 lbs |
Pre-draft data: ESPN draft profile, nflverse draft & combine data. Fields we couldn't source are left out.
Pre-draft signals All patterns
How players with the same pre-draft traits have done against their draft slot, 2000–2021 NFL classes. 50% = a typical pick.
| Age at draft 22 | 56.1% n=2,011 | |
| School Power-conference school | 50.3% n=4,181 | |
| Position DB | 50.7% n=1,116 | |
| Draft slot vs. ESPN pre-draft rank Slid 32+ picks past ESPN's rank | 53.2% n=654 |
Estimate: 55% chance he beats his draft slot (typical pick: 50%). From a simple logistic model on age, school tier and position only; it ranks past picks only modestly better than a coin flip (AUC 0.60), so treat it as a lean, not a forecast. Method
2026 class right now: pick vs. live board
Board updated Oct 26, 2026, 4:03 PM MDT.
Picked around him 2026 redraft
| 225 | Jaren Kanak | now #237 |
| 226 | Landon Robinson | now #238 |
| 227 | Jackson Kuwatch | now #142 |
| 229 | Brandon Cleveland | now #240 |
| 230 | Eli Heidenreich | now #167 |
| 231 | Ethan Onianwa | now #241 |
How this page works: methodology · Patterns behind the signals: What the drafts missed