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The 2024 NFL Draft is getting close, making it an excellent time to highlight some of the class' best players with scouting reports. Each report will include strengths, weaknesses and background information.
Here's our report on Zak Zinter.
Zak Zinter 2024 NFL COMBINE RESULTS
- Height: 6-foot-6
- Weight: 322
- 40-yard dash: Did Not Participate
- 10-yard split: DNP
- Vertical jump: DNP
- Broad jump: DNP
Zak Zinter 2024 NFL DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
STRENGTHS
- Big guard with long arms who utilizes his hands and length to his advantage with an initial punch to control blocks.
- Nasty streak with good aggression and physicality – good edge and nastiness as a run blocker at the point of attack
- Strength displayed to displace lineman in duo schemes and controls second-level blocks once engaged
- He is a good run blocker who keeps his feet moving after initial contact to maintain and move defenders (pad level).
- He was able to anchor and hold his ground vs. power/bull rush once engaged in pass pro (leverage).
- He is a technically sound run blocker who plays with good angles and uses good leverage to secure his blocks.
- Strong hands and use of punch and arm extension to engage defenders and control them after initial contact
- He plays under control and takes good angles in the run game when asked to pull on edge or work up the field.
WEAKNESSES
- Upright style of play and leans into blocks, dropping his head, causing him to play off balance as a pass blocker
- Tendency to stop his feet in pass protection, causing him to struggle to stay engaged and anchor at times
- A stiff mover who struggles in space vs. quicker defenders due to poor lateral agility. Limited lateral quickness.
- Heavy-legged pass blocker who struggles with quick interior rushers or stunts/blitzes that make him COD
NFL TRANSITION
Zinter was a three-year starter at right guard for Michigan. He has good length and uses his hands well at the point of contact to engage and control defenders after initial contact. Zinter has a strong anchor to hold his ground and prevent continual push vs power/bull rush. He is a good run blocker who plays with good angles and pad level, which allows him to play with leverage to maintain his blocks and generate movement.
He is an average mover who plays with inconsistent footwork as a pass blocker and run blocker, which affects his ability to change direction to stay on balance and connected to his blocks at times. Zinter comes off blocks when needing to react to quicker defenders. He displays upright play at the point of attack as a pass blocker, causing him to lean or lunge into defenders with a good secondary pass rush, resulting in him playing off-balance at times.
Overall, Zinter is a good interior prospect with the size and strength to provide good depth initially in the NFL due to his lower leg injury in November. It remains to be seen if the injury will impact his movement and strength once he returns to the field. Zinter has the size and skill set to develop into a solid NFL starter in a few years and is worth a mid-round pick.
OTHER NOTES
Zinter came out of North Andover, Mass., as a four-star recruit and ranked 11th in the nation at guard and No. 3 in the state. He was a three-year starter with 42 career starts over his tenure with Michigan, all except one at right guard. Zinter earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention in 2021, first-team All-Big Ten in 2022 and 2023 and first-team All-American in 2023.
In the past three seasons, Zinter had the sixth-most offensive snaps at right guard with all 2,233 snaps from that position. Of these plays he had 1,001 pass plays, allowing only nine pressures (0.9 percent pressure rate).
Zinter had 1,230 running plays with only 10 snaps of blown assignments (0.8 percent bad run block rate). Both of those block rates were at the top of the pack of the right guards with more than 2,000 total snaps over the last three seasons (second-best pass block rate and best run block rate).
More must-reads:
- NFLPA reportedly under federal investigation
- Nick Saban responds to speculation about coaching return amid NFL rumors
- The 'Single-season sack leaders by NFL team' quiz
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