Teams desiring offensive line help through the 2024 NFL Draft won’t just turn to those equipped with brute force and fundamentally sound technique. They also will have past national champions to target.
Zak Zinter is one prospect with a championship ring in tow. Here’s everything to know about the draft-eligible guard.
How Tall Is Zak Zinter?
The average NFL guard stands at 6’4″. Does Zinter hit the mark? He doesn’t just meet that height; Zinter exceeds it, standing at a towering 6’6″.
That makes him one of the taller guard prospects ahead of this upcoming draft class.
How Much Does Zinter Weigh?
Zinter surpasses the height test. But what about weight?
Most teams covet guards with a massive build, sometimes rolling with options surpassing 325 pounds. But Zinter comes in at 309 pounds.
That means, at 6’6″ and 309 pounds, Zinter has the build of a left or right tackle. Yet, he was trusted inside.
How Old Is Zinter?
While most incoming NFL rookies will celebrate their birthday before their first training camp, Zinter will celebrate his ahead of the draft.
He’ll turn 23 on April 17, just eight days before Day 1 of the event.
Zinter will be considered one of the older first-year NFL players once he reports to his first camp in late July.
What School Did Zinter go to?
Zinter emerged as a four-star interior offensive lineman prospect who signed with Michigan in the 2020 class. By luring in Zinter, the Wolverines reeled in the state of Massachusetts’ No. 3 overall prospect, according to 247Sports.
He was among the most highly recruited players for his position and class by holding nearly 30 scholarship offers. Among his 28 reported offers included Notre Dame, Florida, Boston College, Iowa, Ohio State, and his furthest opportunity hailing from Oregon.
But the Wolverines went on to win his services when Jim Harbaugh served as head coach. Zinter became one of the more beloved Wolverines in his time in Ann Arbor.
Revisiting the Michigan Star’s College Career
Zinter didn’t take long to emerge as a fixture in the trenches for Michigan.
He started in 42 of 45 games played. And right away, he cracked the starting rotation at one of the guard spots for four of the six games during the truncated 2020 season.
For his sophomore campaign, Zinter started in 12 of the Wolverines’ 13 games while manning the right guard spot. The Wolverines’ front five went on to earn the Joe Moore Award, given to the nation’s best offensive line.
But Zinter went on to spark a consecutive starting streak in 2022. He didn’t miss a game between 2022 and 2023 and earned a bevy of accolades in the process, from All-Big 10 honors to a unanimous All-American selection.
Of course, he’s best revered for helping end Michigan’s long national title drought this past season as one of the leaders behind the 15-0 campaign.
Zinter’s Potential in the NFL
Is Zinter the top guard ahead of the draft?
One thing is certain: Zinter is fully capable of working his way up to being a starter. PFN’s Ian Cummings is one who raves about Zinter’s skill set.
“Zinter is a starting-caliber offensive lineman in the NFL. While his relatively average athletic ability limits his ceiling at the next level, his good play strength and very good base of fundamentals give him a role in the NFL as a starting-caliber player,” Cummings wrote.
Cummings adds that Zinter brings “very good use of his hands when combatting defenders” and has a rapid-fire punch to his blocks to jolt defenders.
KEEP READING: Ian Cummings’ Full Scouting Report of Zak Zinter
Zinter comes off as a tall, fundamentally sound option for the draft. Cummings noticed some lapses in his athleticism and redirection ability, pointing to Zinter becoming at risk of struggling with quicker defenders. He’s also recovering from a late-season injury that prevented him from partaking in NFL Combine workouts.
Zinter will have to rely on four years of film to get drafted. But he’s produced enough credentials to bolster someone’s line and add a championship pedigree.
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