Patrick Payton has been down this road before—the one where the odds are stacked against him and the spotlight is nowhere to be found. But the undrafted free agent out of LSU is embracing every step of his journey to the Carolina Panthers' 91-man offseason roster.
Fresh off his first NFL practice at the Panthers' rookie minicamp near Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, Payton couldn't help but crack a sly grin. When reminded of his five-sack performance against 2025 first-overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza during a heated high school rivalry game in Miami, the edge rusher shrugged and smiled. "It felt good," he said. "Now that you look at it, he's the Heisman Trophy winner. It's better."
Payton's path to the pros hasn't been a straight line. After transferring from Florida State to LSU for his redshirt senior season, he earned a minicamp invite from Carolina—a chance to prove he belongs. "Everybody wants to be a drafted guy, but God sometimes puts you in a situation to test you to see if you really want it," Payton said. "I want to showcase my skills and show I really want it."
During Friday's practice, Payton lined up as a second-unit outside linebacker in the Panthers' 3-4 base scheme. On one 11-on-11 play, he burst into the backfield, reaching out for ex-Baylor wide receiver Kobe Prentice on a flanker sweep but coming up just short. With a 4.65-second 40-yard dash and 33.5-inch arm length, Payton has the physical tools to develop into a disruptive force. The question is whether he can become a more effective run stopper.
His college resume speaks for itself. As a sophomore at Florida State, he was named the 2022 ACC Rookie of the Year after breaking out with seven sacks. As a junior, he helped fuel the Seminoles' run to the national championship game. But Payton knew he needed to evolve beyond just a pass-rush specialist. He recorded just one sack in his lone season at LSU, but credits the Tigers' coaching staff for helping him become more stout along the line of scrimmage. "At Florida State, I was more of a run-around-the-tackle type," he said. "I had to learn to be more physical."
For Panthers fans and anyone tracking NFL hopefuls, Payton's story is a reminder that opportunity often comes in unexpected packages. Whether he makes the final roster or not, his determination to prove the doubters wrong is already turning heads in Charlotte.