Tag: Zak Zinter

The Browns rookie class still has no official stats after 4 weeks

The Cleveland Browns rookie class still has no official stats after 4 weeks

After the first four weeks of the NFL season, most teams are starting to get a pretty good feel for how much their rookie draft class is capable of doing for the rest of the year. The draftees likely have their feet wet and are settling into being professional players.

The Cleveland Browns, alas, are not most NFL teams.

Cleveland has yet to see its entire rookie class register a single statistic through the first four games. Only two of the Browns 2024 NFL Draft class have even played in the regular season so far.

Third-round offensive lineman Zak Zinter has seen the most action. The No. 85 overall pick has started two games — and done so at different positions for the injury-ravaged Cleveland line. Zinter played left tackle in Week 2 and moved to his more natural right guard spot for the start in Week 4. He’s played 109 snaps in the first four games.

Nathaniel Watson, a sixth-round linebacker from Mississippi State, is the only other rookie who has seen the field. Watson has played 33 total reps, all on special teams. He’s yet to record a tackle.

The Browns didn’t have a first-round pick, dealt away as part of the Deshaun Watson trade. That trade also included Cleveland’s fourth-rounder in 2024 (among others). Their top pick, second-round DT Michael Hall from Ohio State, has been sidelined on the exempt list for a domestic assault situation over the offseason.

Cleveland’s other picks include WR Jamari Thrash (5th round) and seventh-round defenders Jowon Briggs and Myles Harden.

Zak Zinter already looking the part of a future starting guard

The rookie guard is off to a hot start in Cleveland!

The Cleveland Browns began planning for life after two Pro Bowl offensive guards when they drafted Michigan’s Zak Zinter in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

And through the early part of the preseason, even after coming off of a late-season knee injury suffered in the Ohio State game, Zinter has looked the part for the Browns. Zinter has seen a healthy dose of snaps in the preseason, and his body of work as a pass protector has been nothing short of stellar.

On 48 pass blocking snaps, his pass blocking efficiency sits at 100 percent. He has not allowed a single pressure in the preseason thus far. His work in the run game has been uneven thus far, but as he continues to recover from his injury and work behind Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio, Zinter has something to continue to improve.

Zinter will look to keep up this brilliance, as well as improve his body of work in the run game, in the Browns’ preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday night.

Browns NFL Draft grades: Zak Zinter, OG, Michigan 85th overall

Browns NFL Draft grades for selecting Michigan OL Zak Zinter in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns take yet another step in improving one of the best offensive lines in the entire league and shore up some more depth with the selection of Michigan offensive guard Zak Zinter in the middle of the third round.

Zinter does not project as an immediate starter in Cleveland but will get the luxury to develop behind some of the best the game has to offer in current starter Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller.

A super productive, refined, vicious brawler, Zinter fits the personality of a Cleveland Brown guard perfectly. Zinter helped anchor one of the best offenses in the nation last year and projects as an eventual starter in the league and an extremely valuable depth piece.

Grade: B+

Browns top draft picks throw out first pitch for Guardians game on Friday

The Browns top picks do the honors on Friday night

On Friday night, the top two picks in the 2024 NFL draft of the Cleveland Browns were in town to throw out the first pitch for the Guardians against the Twins. The rookies had their minicamp a couple of weeks back as they prepare to jump to the NFL this fall. The Guardians wore their City Connect jerseys as the rookies kicked off the festivities on Friday.

Michael Hall Jr. showed during the rookie minicamp that his explosion off the line and athletic ability is the real deal. You can’t put a lot of stock in non-padded practices in the month of May but it is very exciting what caliber of player he could develop into.

Zak Zinter remains Cleveland’s safest draft pick. Though he likely won’t play much as a rookie, he has a high ceiling for the future. Next up for the Browns is the voluntary minicamp on May 21st.

Browns Podcast: Breaking down the film of third rounder Zak Zinter

What does the film say about Cleveland’s third rounder?

The rookies are in Berea this weekend as the Browns host their rookie minicamp. It’s always good to finally see players back on the field for the Browns and our first chances to see the rookies and the white facemasks in action. After suffering a gruesome leg injury it was great to see Zak Zinter running around looking normal.

Zinter was a fun film study with some Wyatt Teller level nasty as a run blocker especially pulling in the open field. He isn’t a great athlete and struggles with explosive gap-shooting defensive tackles, but he isn’t a bad one either.

Over the last three years at Michigan, Zinter allowed 22 hurries, five hits, and three sacks. When you turn on his tape, you see a player with a ton of experience who stays looking for work as a pass protector.

Zinter is a people mover, and at worst, he will be an average player for a long time in the NFL as a great run blocker. You can hear more about the 85th overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft by clicking here.

Browns Podcast: Grading Cleveland’s 2024 draft class

How does the Browns class grade?

After months of build-up, the 2024 NFL draft has come and gone just like that. This year was the final year the Browns had to give up a first-round pick for Deshaun Watson, so fans again had to wait until day two for Cleveland’s first pick.

It came as a surprise when the team took Michael Hall Jr. only because of how crowded the defensive tackle room already is. But Andrew Berry and company targeted Hall with his tremendous athleticism and potential that could make him a great player down the road.

Zak Zinter felt like one of the safest picks to make, as the former All-American guard has a high floor but a limited ceiling. Fans clamored for another wide receiver, and the Browns drafted an explosive playmaker in the fifth round, Jamari Thrash, from Louisville.

Ultimately, this was a good draft for Cleveland; you can hear us talk more in-depth about these prospects and more by clicking here.

Browns rookie guard Zak Zinter chooses number 70 for rookie year

Zinter will be 70 this season

So far, during his tenure as Cleveland Browns general manager, Andrew Berry has emphasized having a great offensive line. That continued this weekend when he drafted former Michigan All-American guard Zak Zinter in the third round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Zinter had his season cut short after breaking his leg against Ohio State but was still a unanimous All-American in 2023. He joined teammate Michael Hall Jr. in Berea this weekend for their first tour of the team’s facility.

While in Berea, Zinter chose number 70 for his rookie season in Cleveland. He is in a unique situation where he learns from two of the best interior offensive linemen in the league and will likely replace one in the future. It is always interesting to follow if the players end up changing their number after roster cuts begin on the team’s way to their 53-man roster.

How Zak Zinter fits with the Cleveland Browns

Cleveland future-proofs their roster. #GoBlue

With the 85th pick in the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns selected offensive guard Zak Zinter.

Zinter started 42 games during his career at Michigan and was given All-American honors for his performance in the 2023 season.

Zinter is exactly the type of guard that Cleveland has had success with. It has one of the best starting duos in the league: Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. They are of a similar glass-eating mold as Zinter.

Zinter excels in the run game and has the athleticism to climb to the second level and wall off linebackers. He has the coveted mean streak that tends to fare well in the AFC North, and he does a good job of keeping the quarterback clean in pass protection.

The only downside with Zinter is obviously the injury suffered against Ohio State. Zinter luckily avoided ligament damage, but he suffered a pair of broken bones in his leg. Had he been healthy for the entire playoff run, he likely would have gone off the board in the second round. Once he returns to full health, Zinter should be a quality starter in the league.

Zinter’s leadership is also one of his better traits. He was voted team captain in 2023, and the team’s loyalty was on full display when he went down with a nasty leg injury against Ohio State. The bench cleared and every Wolverine came onto the field to wish him a speedy recovery.

So, when exactly will he get on the field? That’s a tough question. Both Cleveland’s starters are under contract for two more seasons, so unless they trade or cut one of them, Zinter will be waiting in the wings for two seasons. Given the injury, I would bet on Zinter sitting for at least 2024, but he could earn his spot in 2025 if Cleveland is ready to move on.

 

New Browns guard Zak Zinter ready to roll despite breaking tibia and fibula in November

Zinter says he is healthy and ready to go

Late last season against the Ohio State Buckeyes, new Cleveland Browns guard Zak Zinter suffered a leg injury. Ironically enough, Browns second-round pick Michael Hall Jr. was the player who fell into Zinter’s leg, breaking his tibia and fibula, ending his season.

But the good news is that Zinter says he is ready to go for training camp with the Browns. This is good news as some people, including myself, thought he might fall further in the draft because of that injury, but it sounds like he’s healed and ready to hit the ground running with his new team.

Zinter is set to learn from two of the best guards in the NFL and plays the game similarly to right guard Wyatt Teller, especially in the run game. If the team needs to play Zinter in 2024, his high football IQ and solid technique will help him be at least serviceable for the Browns right away as a rookie.

Poll: How does the Browns pick of Zak Zinter grade for you?

What grade do you give the Zinter pick?

The Browns return to adding to the trenches just on the other side of the ball with their third-round pick. With the 85th overall pick in the 2024 draft, they added Michigan offensive guard Zak Zinter, who suffered a season-ending injury against Ohio State.

Zinter is an average athlete, but he is a mauler on the interior and gets to learn from two of the better guards in the NFL as a rookie. He has some of the best hands in the class for interior linemen and plays with great leverage, especially in the run game. Zinter is the Browns type of guard with great play strength to move people around in the run game to create rushing lanes.

He may have limited upside because of a lack of elite athleticism, but he’s a high football IQ player with a ton of experience. Over his three-year career with the Wolverines, he allowed just 27 pressures and three sacks in the Big Ten.

The pick of Zak Zinter is a solid move, and I give it a B. What grade do you give the pick?