Browns select G Zak Zinter with the No. 85 pick in the NFL Draft

[buzzdog]

Browns select G Zak Zinter with the No. 85 pick in the NFL Draft​

Zinter played four seasons at Michigan at right guard​

Apr 26, 2024 at 10:37 PM

Kelsey Russo
Staff Writer

The Browns selected G Zak Zinter with the 85th overall pick in the third round of the NFL Draft.
Zinter played four seasons at Michigan at right guard, playing in 45 games with 42 starts. He played 2,514 offensive snaps while in Ann Arbor, and allowed three sacks in 1,139 pass-blocking snaps. Zinter allowed five quarterback hurries on 296 pass block snaps during his 2023 season, and six quarterback hurries on 411 pass block snaps in 2022, according to PFF.
He missed the final three games of the 2023 season after suffering a broken tibia and fibula in Michigan's win over Ohio State in November 2023.

Photos: 3rd-Round Pick Zak Zinter Through the Years​

Check out photos of Browns 2023 third round pick Zak Zinter

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Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrates his 69-yard touchdown pass with offensive lineman Zak Zinter (65) in the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game against Western Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. Michigan won 47-14. (AP Photo/Tony Ding)
Tony Ding/Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved



















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Michigan offensive lineman Zak Zinter (65) protects quarterback J.J. McCarthy as he prepares to snap the ball against Hawaii during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)
Jose Juarez/Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

 

[Amherstcavsfan]

Big, mean motherfucker. Average athlete. What you see is what you get. Apparently an incredible leader and extremely tough.

Good enough to be groomed by 2 of the best guards in the NFL.

 

[bushwick_bill]

 

[Bob_The_Cat]

Big, mean motherfucker. Average athlete. What you see is what you get. Apparently an incredible leader and extremely tough.

Good enough to be groomed by 2 of the best guards in the NFL.

Definitely a great leader. Loved by teammates and fans. I like that he’s coming from a school that prioritized OL play and running the ball. He’s going to fit in well with what the Browns do offensively because Michigan had a similar offensive approach.

Also, Michigan has arguably had the best OL in college football the last three years, and Zinter was seen as the engine of that group. That’s something that can’t be dismissed. Had 33 straight starts before he broke his leg. Team captain as well.

I think he might’ve been an early 2nd rounder if he didn’t have the injury as he couldn’t perform at the combine or participate in the Senior Bowl.

 

[FrontPageNews]

He gave up 0 sacks and had 0 flags last year. That’s insane.

 

[MGMT]

Time to start anew. He who was once a bastard due to his prior collegiate affairs shall now maul the AFCN so the greatest running back in the NFL can avenge a lost season.

Welcome.

But seriously, one of my off-season thoughts was succession planning for Joel Bitonio — especially since a back injury but him later in the season; he can’t be elite forever and snagging a talent to learn and heal for a season is just tip top strategy.

 

[AZ_]

One of my favorite pure guards in the draft — the best player on an insanely loaded OL that earned Michigan a ring (until the ncaa takes it away).

Some clips:






Incredibly aware of what the defense is doing, handles stunts and movement at a professional level.

Looks for work.

Elite on the pull.

Absolutely perfect scheme fit.

 

[AZ_]

That said…

Speed will get ya…

 

[macbdog]

Time to start anew. He who was once a bastard due to his prior collegiate affairs shall now maul the AFCN so the greatest running back in the NFL can avenge a lost season.

Welcome.

But seriously, one of my off-season thoughts was succession planning for Joel Bitonio — especially since a back injury but him later in the season; he can’t be elite forever and snagging a talent to learn and heal for a season is just tip top strategy.

He's more likely a succession plan for Teller, unfortunately, at least in the near term. Hopefully he absorbed being an asshole from his time at University of Assholes and he can fill the badass role that Wyatt does for the Browns currently.

 

[Cassity14]

He's more likely a succession plan for Teller, unfortunately, at least in the near term. Hopefully he absorbed being an asshole from his time at University of Assholes and he can fill the badass role that Wyatt does for the Browns currently.

I think he’s the success plan for Bitonio, who likely doesn’t have much time left. Teller should have a few more years I’d think.

 

[natedagg]

I think he’s the success plan for Bitonio, who likely doesn’t have much time left. Teller should have a few more years I’d think.

Either way, the Browns are doing it right. We have a ton of talent and money in the guard position, and we can bring him along for a bit.

I just like how we aren’t needing to be reactionary and go “OMG gaping need at position”.

As maybe @_AZ said, this was the leader of the best OL in football. Smart and nasty.

 

[Smooth]

From PFF’s profile on Zinter:

“Zinter's movement limitations will likely limit him to man/gap schemes if he is to be successful at the next level, but he does have sufficient power to get a shot at a starting role at some point in such systems.”

All NFL teams to deploy man/gap concepts on >51% of all RB runs last year:
+ per @FantasyPtsData

1. Patriots (62.9%)
2. Bills (61.4%)
3. Browns (61.2%)
4. Rams (60.7%)
5. Jaguars (55.7%)
6. Ravens (53.2%)
7. Bengals (53.0%)

It’ll be interesting to see how this changes under Dickerson and Dorsey now but needless to say, Zinter is very likely one of those guys who likely had grade variations due to scheme fits.. With the Browns run schemes, it’s likely the Browns were a lot more attracted to Zinter’s projection..

 

[aldamon]

My only wish for this draft is to ensure Hudson never sees the field again. Can we please accomplish that goal?

 

[macbdog]

My only wish for this draft is to ensure Hudson never sees the field again. Can we please accomplish that goal?

I am all for the Browns moving on from Hudson but my goodness, you not only want his career to end you want the man to go blind.

 

[red.]