The spotlight has never been on Daron Payne more than it will be during his eighth season. The Washington Commanders are two years removed from shipping off Chase Young and Montez Sweat for draft picks. They granted Jonathan Allen permission to seek a trade before outright releasing him weeks later.

That leaves Payne, now the second-longest tenured player on the Commanders' roster, as the remaining piece of a group that once boasted four first-round picks. The coaching staff challenged him to be a leader this offseason, and Payne has stepped up to the task.

"I walked past him [Payne] today and said, 'Man, you've had a remarkable offseason,'" head coach Dan Quinn said after Wednesday's practice. "I felt that way through the drill work, through the skill [work]. You just see something that jumps out differently."

While it might be new to the current iteration of the Commanders' coaching staff, fans are familiar with Payne's potential as a dominant interior force. He tied the franchise record for sacks by a defensive tackle, racking up 11.5 along with a safety, 20 quarterback hits and 18 tackles for loss. Although he remained solid in 2023 and 2024, his subsequent seasons were not as statistically dominant, as he had a combined eight sacks and 18 tackles for loss in that span.

But now Payne seems to have found his stride once again. The coaching staff has sensed a change in his approach this offseason based on his understanding of the defense and dedication to his body as well as the questions he has been asking in meetings.

"He looks intentful," said defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. "I've been really pleased with the walkthroughs, everything that we've asked him to do."

Whitt noted that Payne "doesn't talk much at all" but is leading by example. During Tuesday's practice, Payne "went after it" when Whitt challenged the defensive line. He was so intense that Whitt had to apologize to Quinn because the veteran defensive tackle "did exactly what I told him to do."

Although Payne is used to being one of the most pivotal pieces on Washington's defensive line, he now finds himself in a slightly different role. The Commanders focused on adding size and strength to the group, and they achieved that by bringing in Deatrich Wise Jr., Eddie and Goldman Javon Kinlaw to shore up one of the worst run-stopping units in the league. They also have players like Johnny Newton and Javontae Jean-Baptiste, both draft picks from last year, set to take bigger steps in their development.

Payne is taking it upon himself to be the stabilizing force.

"I've been trying to work hard…trying to show the young boys how to do it," Payne said. "Just going out training hard every day, and then reloading in the morning and coming back the next day, trying to do it again."

And that might require Payne to step out of his comfort zone a bit, but he's willing to make that change.

"I'm the type of guy where I come to work, do what I gotta do, and then I get on with my life," Payne said. "So, I've just been challenging myself to be a leader and just going out there and working hard."

The incentive for what the defense could be in the upcoming season certainly helps, too.

"Man, if we play the defense that Coach Whitt has installed and do the things that he wants us to do, we can be as good as we want to be."

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