By J.T.
Photo Credit- Maize n Brew
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Michigan, Guard, Zak Zinter
Name- Zak Zinter
Pos- Guard
Team- Michigan
HT/WT- 6’6” 322 lbs
Born- 4/17/2001
Home – Port St. Lucie, FL
Zak Zinter attended Buckingham Browne & Nichols High School in Boston, Massachusetts. He was named the Boston Herald and Boston Globe All-Scholastic athlete in football and track and field. He was rated as a four-star prospect by both Rivals and ESPN. He graduated in January of his senior year and enrolled early at Michigan.
As a freshman in 2020 he appeared in all six games, with four starts at right guard. His sophomore season was stellar as he started 12 games at right guard and was part of an offensive line that was awarded the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation's top offensive line. He was named Second-Team All-Big Ten.
Zinter enters the 2023 season as a Draft 412 Second-Team All-American.
Zak Zinter is quick off the snap and plays positionally sound. He has a strong upper body and uses his hands effectively to latch on to defenders. He plays with a nasty edge in the running game and drives through defenders. He uses his reach to instantly gain control in one-on-one battles. In tight spaces he fights and uses his angles well to thwart defenders.
On the downside for Zinter, he plays too high at points and is more of a waist bender which leads to him losing his balance and effectiveness. He lacks the athleticism and quickness to pull efficiently and he has problems getting to the second level. He is a better run blocker than he is a pass blocker and will need to work on his footwork to excel at both. He has a tendency to lean forward and at times has his head down which could lead to injury at some point.
Zinter’s height and the way he uses his length to his advantage reminds Draft 412 of former Boise State guard Ezra Cleveland. Cleveland, now with the Minnesota Vikings has put together a nice career together since going in the second round of the 2020 draft.
Strengths
Run blocking
Length
Hands
Tight spaces
Weaknesses
Upright
Struggles in open space
Pass blocking
Footwork
Final Analysis
Zak Zinter is a bit of a work in progress and has benefitted from playing on an offensive line with a ton of talent. A good season in 2023 can move him into 2nd day consideration.
Draft 412 Draft Projection- Round 3 or Round 4