Zak Zinter, G Michigan: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Zinter was a four-star recruit from Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (BB&N) in Cambridge, Mass. in the class of 2020

Michigan Wolverines guard Zak Zinter is one of the best offensive linemen in college football. He projects as a day two selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Zinter will be a plug-and-play starter as a rookie.

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Zak Zinter, G Michigan: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Senior right guard from North Andover, Mass.

Background: Zinter was a four-star recruit from Buckingham Browne & Nichols School (BB&N) in Cambridge, Mass. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 265 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 146 for Rivals, and No. 294 for On3.com. Zinter was an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with an 80 grade out of 100. He spent his first two varsity seasons at St. John’s Prep before transferring to BB&N. Zinter was a team captain as a senior. As a junior, his team went 8-1 and secured championship game appearances in the Independent School League (ISL) and New England championships. Zinter’s lengthy list of high school accolades includes 2018 USA Today All-Massachusetts, 2018 and 2019 Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Association All-State, 2018 and 2019 All-New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC), 2018 and 2019 All-ISL, 2018 and 2019 ISL Healey Lineman of the Year, 2019 Super 26 All-State Team, 2019 NEPSAC All-New England Lineman of the Year, and 2019 Buckingham Browne & Nichols High School MVP and Lineman of the Year honors. He was a Boston Herald and Boston Globe All-Scholastic athlete in football and track and field. Zinter set the BB&N school record in shot put and was the ISL Shot Put State Champion and NEPSAC New England State Shot Put Champion as a junior. He won the Division I shot put title as a freshman and sophomore and claimed the discus state title as a sophomore. Zinter was born on April 17, 2001.

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a broken right wrist in the 2021 offseason, missed 2021 Northwestern game

Awards: 2021 Second Team All-Big Ten (Media), 2021 Joe Moore Award (Unit), 2022 First Team All-Big Ten, 2022 Joe Moore Award (Unit)

Pros: Highly experienced, technically sound, plus vision and awareness, keeps head on a swivel to help tackle or center, good reactions to stunts, arm length will surpass NFL guard thresholds, thick and powerful upper body, impressive grip strength on display vs. Lukas Van Ness (2022), good pop in hands, reloads hands quickly after punches, hand placement helps him pop defenders off their rush arcs, wins most pass pro reps when he successfully gets hands on the defender, washes out defensive linemen in half-man relationships, sufficient anchor to absorb and deaden most rush attempts, defenders fail to push-pull him off balance, keeps feet moving at and through contact, adjusts angles mid-play to improve leverage and balance, fires low out of his stance in the run game, clamp strength is key in sealing rushing lanes, plays with necessary footspeed and urgency on pulls, power to wreak havoc on duo and combo blocks, pancakes linebackers at the second level

Cons: Committed four penalties in both 2021 and 2022, no experience anywhere except right guard, height might cause issues at guard, pad level rises quickly in pass pro, limited knee bend in pass pro, vulnerable to speed to power when he loses the leverage battle (which is often), occasionally allows defenders into his chest, hands are late at times, swim moves got him a few times, lateral agility makes sticking with sudden or twitchy rushers difficult, occasional quick-twitch defender crosses his face, executing reach blocks appears difficult, forward momentum and leaning on defenders in the run game leads to him falling, footwork to mirror linebackers is limited, wish he generated more displacement at the point of attack

Overview: Zinter is a highly experienced, technically sound guard with more than 1,800 offensive snaps under his belt. He plays with elite vision and awareness and keeps his head on a swivel to help the tackle or center. Zinter is quick to react to stunts. His arm length will surpass NFL guard thresholds. The Massachusetts native has a thick and powerful upper body that allowed him to clamp down and control Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness (2022). His hands pack pop, and he quickly reloads them to deliver additional punches. Zinter’s hand placement helps him knock defenders off their rush arcs. He wins most of his reps in pass protection the moment he successfully gets his hands on the defender. Zinter is excellent at washing out defensive linemen who enter half-man relationships. The senior has a sufficient anchor to absorb and deaden most rush attempts, but his anchor isn’t outstanding. Defenders who attempt to push or pull Zinter off balance are unsuccessful. The former four-star recruit keeps his feet moving at and through contact. He adjusts angles mid-play to improve his leverage and balance. Zinter fires low out of his stance in the run game. He is better at sealing than displacing defenders. Zinter’s clamp strength plays a crucial role in his ability to seal rush lanes. He plays with good footspeed and urgency on pulls. Zinter’s power wreaks havoc on duo and combo blocks, and he pancakes linebackers at the second level. The All-Big Ten selection’s height might cause issues at guard. His pad level rises quickly in pass protection, and he lacks the knee bend to get low consistently. Zinter is vulnerable to speed to power when he loses the leverage battle. His hands are occasionally late and allow defenders into his chest. Swim moves gave him trouble in 2022. Zinter’s lateral agility isn’t elite and will make handling twitchy defenders difficult. Twitchy or explosive defenders sometimes cross his face. Zinter occasionally puts too much of his momentum forward in the run game and takes a tumble. He lacks the precise footwork to mirror linebackers at the second level. Despite his massive frame, Zinter doesn’t excel at displacing defenders vertically. He’s much better at capturing their shoulders and moving them parallel to the line of scrimmage.

Overall, Zinter’s pad level and lateral agility need improvement, but his awareness, powerful upper body, and technically sound play make him a plug-and-play starter. Zinter has the footspeed and mobility to play in a gap scheme, and his game is also well-suited for inside zone schemes.

Role & Scheme Fit: Rookie starting right guard in a gap or inside zone scheme

Round Projection: Mid Second to Early Third

Size: 6'6", 322 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 08-20-23