The Las Vegas Raiders made several big splash signings at the beginning of free agency. That, of course, started with Tyler Linderbaum, who became the highest-paid center in football and was the best get on the open market.
An under-the-radar player added to this football team was former Indianapolis Colts defensive end Kwity Paye. Paye was a first-round pick out of the University of Michigan in 2021, touted as a freak athlete coming out of college. He has produced solidly at the NFL level thus far in his career.
During his five-year stint with the Colts, Paye recorded 30.5 sacks. In a lot of ways, he was signed to complement Maxx Crosby as a pass-rusher, but Paye also shines in the running game with his ability to set the edge and make stops.
Early reports from training camp indicate that the Raiders have big plans in store for Paye, as they are exploring his versatility.
Kwity Paye is being moved all over Raiders' DL early in training camp
Paye's combination of power, strength and quickness is part of the reason why the Raiders have been moving him around the defensive line early in training camp. During his press conference on Tuesday, Paye spoke about how Rob Leonard is using him in a variety of ways.
"I'm playing SAM, playing Big End, and playing some 3-technique. So, I’m playing everywhere right now. I love it."Kwity Paye on Role in Raiders' Defense
What Paye has described are his positions in the Silver and Black's new 3-4 defense that they will deploy on Sundays. SAM linebacker means that Paye will be standing up on certain snaps on the edge opposite Crosby. This is what he primarily did with the Colts in his first five seasons in the NFL.
The surprise of his alignments is what Paye referred to as “Big End." That can mean that Paye is playing the 4, 4i, or a 5-technique, so he would line up over or on one of the shoulders of an offensive tackle. This role on the defensive line was made famous by future Hall of Famer JJ Watt.
Clearly, Paye's ability to set the edge is a big part of why he is deployed in this alignment when the Raiders get into their base defense. However, it is a distinct change from the past, when Paye mainly played 7, 6 or 9 technique in Indianapolis.
Of course, the last alignment that Paye mentioned will be for third downs, which is the 3-technique. He will have a chance to maximize his pass-rush ability by working inside against slower and smaller guards.
Paye doesn't have the greatest bend around the edge when playing defensive end, so moving him inside can create mismatches and allow for Malcolm Koonce and Keyron Crawford to see the field on passing downs.
With Paye moving all around the defensive line, fans should expect the same for other players on the defense. In 2023, Raider Nation saw Maxx Crosby play middle linebacker on certain snaps, and 2026 could duplicate some of those uncommon alignments and creativity.
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