Tag: Zak Zinter

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?

Numbers prove Browns’ new guard Zak Zinter is a brick wall

Zak Zinter is now a member of the Browns, and they may have found a gem.

With their third round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns went north of the state border to land Michigan offensive guard Zak Zinter.

While he broke his tibia at the end of the Wolverines’ regular season win over the Ohio State Buckeyes (where new teammate Michael Hall Jr. reigns from), Zinter was nothing but consistently dominant when on the field. And the numbers back it up.

According to PFF, Zinter has played 677 pass-blocking snaps since 2022 and has allowed just 14 quarterback pressures and only two sacks in that time frame. These are the kind of numbers the Browns are hoping Zinter brings south with him as he travels from Ann Arbor to Cleveland.

He will have the luxury of not needing to see the field right away and the privilege to learn behind two of the best in the business in Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller.

Did the Browns land a gem?

Browns draft Michigan OL Zak Zinter with 85th overall pick in 2024 NFL draft

The Browns went defensive line in the second round, and now address the offensive line in the third round.

After landing Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. in the second round of the 2024 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns now turn to the Buckeyes’ rival in round two to select Michigan offensive guard Zak Zinter.

Playing over 2,500 reps in his college career, Zinter is a seasoned veteran as he heads to Cleveland. He was a first-team All-American in 2023 for the Wolverines and was a member of the Joe Moore Award-winning unit in 2022.

Zinter broke his tibia and fibia in November in Michigan’s win over Ohio State. According to Mel Kiper, however, Zinter is expected to be ready to roll by the start of training camp.

With the aging of Joel Bitonio and the pending out in the contract of Wyatt Teller, the Browns make a move for a depth offensive lineman here. The Browns will want to give him a year to heal up and settle in, but Zinter may be asked to roll as early as 2025.

Zak Zinter heading to Ohio after being selected in 2024 NFL draft

One of the best guards of all time in Ann Arbor. #GoBlue

It didn’t take long for Zak Zinter to assert himself on the college level, getting unexpected early playing time as a true freshman along the offensive line — something of an anomaly.

During his sophomore campaign, Zinter was spoken of as potentially the best offensive player the Michigan Wolverines had on their roster.

That would be a theme. Despite several star players coming and going along the line from 2021-23, Zinter continued to be the road grader, setting the tone for the entire line. He was named a team captain in 2023 because of his leadership capabilities after deciding to come back for his senior year.

Zinter could have gone much earlier in the 2024 NFL draft had he not broken both his tibia and fibula late in the Ohio State game in 2023. He was immediately rushed into surgery and was walking without the assistance of crutches at times just over a month later on the sidelines at the Rose Bowl.

Of course, despite the setback, Zinter has a huge upside. Though he fell from being a potential Day 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, he ended up being a steal when finally selected. He was picked in the third round by the Cleveland Browns with the 85th overall pick.

Zinter was so beloved by his teammates that when Blake Corum scored the go-ahead touchdown against the Buckeyes one play after Zinter’s gruesome injury, Corum ran directly to the Fox camera and flashed a “six-five,” indicating that score was for Zinter, who wore the No. 65.

Raiders Draft Radar: Top guard fits by round

Guard has been and continues to be a major need for the Raiders. And while it may not be a position they address in the first round, they probably shouldn’t wait around for scraps as they need a prospect capable of being a day one starter at right …

Guard has been and continues to be a major need for the Raiders. And while it may not be a position they address in the first round, they probably shouldn’t wait around for scraps as they need a prospect capable of being a day one starter at right guard.

They recently signed former Bears guard Cody Whitehair, and while he adds experience and scheme familiarity, he isn’t considered the answer at the position. At least not to the extent they can call it a day and shift to addressing other positions.

So, let’s take a look at five guards who could be in play for the Raiders and where they might consider drafting them.





Zak Zinter

Seahawks go DT, then G in this 3-round ESPN 2024 NFL mock draft

Breaking down Seahawks picks from this 3-round ESPN 2024 NFL mock draft.

ESPN has a new 2024 NFL mock draft out this morning. It was a two-man effort between Field Yates and Mel Kiper, exchanging pick selections through three rounds.

When the Seattle Seahawks were on the clock in Round 1, Yates picked Texas DT Byrony Murphy II at No. 16 overall.

“Seattle needs to hammer the interior of the defensive line at some point early in the draft, and Murphy is the best defensive tackle in the class. He is explosive as a pass-rusher, and he plays with power, torque and leverage in the running game.”

This fits with recent reporting from ESPN which suggests that the Seahawks will not allow Murphy to fall past them in the first round. Murphy (6-foot-1, 297 pounds) is a bit small for a pro tackle but his tape suggest enormous potential at this level, even if the Aaron Donald comps are a bit much.

When Seattle was on the clock again in Round 3 it was Kiper’s turn to pick. He had them taking Michigan guard Zak Zinter at No. 81 overall.

“Zinter broke his leg against Ohio State in November, forcing him to miss the Wolverines’ College Football Playoff run. I don’t think there’s any reason to worry about him missing his rookie season, though. Seattle has just two picks in the first two days of the draft, and it has to add competition at guard with one of those.”

Zinter (6-foot-6, 322 pounds) has experience with head coach Mike Macdonald and earned strong grades in run blocking and pass blocking last season from PFF. He might be able to start at right guard Week 1 for the Seahawks, assuming that he can beat out Anthony Bradford for the job.

More Seahawks Wire stories

Seahawks fleece Jim Harbaugh trading down in this mock

Updated offensive line depth chart with Laken Tomlinson

Packers to host top 30 pre-draft visit with Michigan OL Zak Zinter

The Packers will host a top 30 visit with Michigan OL Zak Zinter ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers will host an official top-30 visit with Michigan offensive lineman Zak Zinter ahead of the 2024 draft, according to Ryan Fowler of The Draft Network. Zinter will also visit the Philadelphia Eagles, per Fowler.

Zinter (6-6, 322) started at right guard for the Wolverines each of the last three seasons. As a team captain in 2023, Zinter allowed nothing more than five hurries — no sacks — across 296 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. He was named an All-American.

Zinter was a three-time All-Big Ten selection. He finished his collegiate career with 42 career starts.

Zinter suffered a significant leg injury during Michigan’s win over Ohio State last season and missed the Big 10 title game and the College Football Playoff. The injury — a fracture in his leg — required surgery. But Zinter believed, as of late December, that he might be ready to go by rookie minicamps in May.

The Packers have an obvious need on the inside at guard after losing Jon Runyan Jr. in free agency. Zinter is coming off a major injury, which is likely a leading reason why the Packers want him to visit before the 2024 draft.

2024 NFL draft: 7 Michigan players who could follow Jim Harbaugh to Chargers

Jim Harbaugh could bring in a few players he coached at Michigan in this year’s draft.

Familiarity plays a big role in roster-building. For head coach Chargers Jim Harbaugh and some of his coaches on staff, they have a slew of players they coached at Michigan who could follow them to Los Angeles.

Here is a look at seven that could be targeted when April’s draft rolls around.