Damon Payne's NFL dream continues with Kansas City Chiefs

Generally, five-star recruits are expected to eventually be day one, or at least day two, NFL draft picks. For former five-star defensive tackle Damon Payne, it didn't exactly work out that way.

Payne hailed from Belleville High School, mere minutes from Ann Arbor, but opted to start his career playing for Nick Saban at Alabama. He never quite took hold in Tuscaloosa, even when Kalen DeBoer took over the Crimson Tide in 2024. Thus, in 2025, Payne opted to return home, where he hoped his career would flourish.

Payne still was a reserve player, and though he saw a lot of time on task, he didn't necessarily have a statline that indicated his intermittent dominance. With 16 tackles and two tackles for loss, Payne wasn't seen in the same light as teammate Rayshaun Benny.

Thus, unlike Benny (who ended up being a seventh-round pick), Payne didn't get the call that he was getting selected in the 2026 NFL draft. But, he is still getting his opportunity, having signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent.

The Chiefs often had a cadre of Wolverines up front, ranging from Frank Clark to Taco Charlton to Mike Danna. Danna was the last man standing in Kansas City, but ultimately was released this offseason. Payne will come in and hope to continue the tradition of former Michigan players playing stalwart on the historically disrupted defensive line.