Packers Sign One of Coach Prime’s Defensive Linemen

The Green Bay Packers continued adding to their offseason roster by signing first-year defensive tackle Leonard Payne on Wednesday.

Payne was an undrafted free agent in 2024 who spent his training camp with the Miami Dolphins. He was released at the end of the preseason and spent the year out of the league. He did have some in-season workouts, including with the Packers.

Payne spent his final collegiate season at Colorado, where he played in 12 games with seven starts. He recorded 10 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble and one blocked kick.

Before that, he played in 28 games with nine starts during five seasons at Fresno State. He recorded 5.5 sacks and 11 tackles for losses during that period, including two sacks and six tackles for losses in 2022 and 3.5 sacks and five TFLs in 2021. He did not play during the 2020 COVID season.

Before the draft, Payne measured 6-foot-2 5/8 and 301 pounds. He showed some startling athleticism with a 4.91 in the 40 at pro day. His Relative Athletic Score was 5.91 out of 10.

“I felt good about that,” he told reporters afterward.

He wanted to show scouts “my quickness, my speed. I’m good at the drills; I can do that in my sleep. So, just my speed and strength in the drills.”

Looking ahead to the draft, he said: “It’s a big moment. This is a big deal for me. I’ve been playing football since I was 6 years old – more than half my life. I feel like this is a great moment for me. It’s a surreal moment. I thank God for this.”

Payne had a couple of tackles and one quarterback pressure with the Dolphins in three preseason games.

He said the Chiefs’ Chris Jones, who he called an “animal,” is the player he tried to pattern his game after.

“I would say my dad and then my two high school coaches” have been the big influences on the way to the NFL. “They’ve been mentoring me since I was 14, just leading the way for me and giving me good advice in what I should do.”

Payne joins the returning group of Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden, with T.J. Slaton set to be an unrestricted free agent.

James Ester, an undrafted free agent last year, spent the season on the practice squad, and Nesta Jade Silvera and Keith Randolph were signed to futures deals on Tuesday.