Kansas State football player VJ Payne selected in seventh round of NFL Draft
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas State produced multiple NFL Draft picks for the sixth straight year.
- VJ Payne was selected by the New York Jets with the No. 228 overall pick in the seventh round.
- Carver Willis and Will Lee were also selected, both with K-State ties.
For the fifth straight year, Kansas State has produced multiple picks in the NFL Draft.
VJ Payne joined former teammate Sam Hecht as a draft selection on Saturday when the New York Jets used a pick on him in the seventh round. Payne was the overall No. 228 pick at the event.
Payne is a 6-foot-3 and 208-pound defensive back who helped lead the K-State defense for several seasons. He played in 52 games and made 42 starts for the Wildcats. Along the way, he made 196 tackles, defended 13 passes and made four interceptions.
He earned honorable mention accolades from the Big 12 as both a junior and as a senior.
Hecht also found a new home in the professional ranks on Saturday when the Carolina Panthers selected him in the fifth round. He was the No. 144 overall pick.
The Wildcats have produced a NFL pick in six consecutive drafts.
Two other football players with ties to K-State were also selected on Saturday.
The San Francisco 49ers selected former K-State offensive lineman Carver Willis in the fourth round. He spent several seasons playing for Chris Klieman before Willis transferred and ended his college career at Washington. A few picks later, the Panthers selected Texas A&M defensive back Will Lee, who played one season for the Wildcats.