CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Patrick Payton, moments after wrapping up his first NFL practice, flashed a sly grin. Reminded of his five-sack performance against 2025 first-overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza during a 2020 high-school rivalry game in Miami, the ' undrafted free agent shrugged, smiled and said: "It felt good. "Now that you look at it, he's the Heisman Trophy winner. It's better." After spending his redshirt senior season at LSU, Payton earned an invitation to , which opened Friday at the practice fields near Bank of America Stadium. Despite the long odds, . "Everybody wants to be Nathan Todd Jersey a drafted guy, but God sometimes puts you in a situation to test you to see if you really want it," ."I want to showcase my skills and show I really want it." Panthers' Patrick Payton seeks NFL opportunity Working as a second-unit outside linebacker in the Panthers' 3-4 base scheme, Payton worked his way into the backfield during an 11-on-11 play Friday. He reached out, but could not grab ex-Baylor wide receiver Kobe Prentice during a flanker sweep. Noted for his 4.65-second 40-yard dash speed and 33.5-inch arm length, Payton po se ses the measurables that could make him a developmental prospect. If, that is, Payton proves he can become a more effective run stopper. As a sophomore at Florida State, the 2022 ACC Rookie of the Year recipient broke out with seven sacks. As a junior, he helped fuel the Seminoles' run to the national championship game. But Payton, entering his redshirt senior season, recognized he needed to be more than a rush edge. He recorded just one sack with LSU, but credited 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 of guy," said Payton, who collected a career . "When I went to LSU, I got with coach (Kevin) Peoples, a great coach. He helped me with my run defense." Is it enough? The Panthers, who are two seasons removed from yielding an NFL-high 3,057 rushing yards, ranked No. 28 in sacks last season, posting 30.0. A long shot to stick with the Panthers through training camp, remained eager to get a second look at prospects during Saturday's practice. "Excited to have all these guys come out here," Canales said. "We'll go through this camp and make some decisions on some of the guys not officially on the roster." Marty Mcsorley Jersey