Zak Zinter Drafted By Cleveland Browns In 3rd Round Of NFL Draft

Zak Zinter obviously slid in the draft because of his injury, but now he's a Cleveland Brown and will likely carve out a terrific NFL career.

After breaking his leg in November against Ohio State, Zak Zinter immediately hit the ground running (no pun intended) with his rehab and is now ready for training camp in Cleveland. The newest Brown is tailor made for the interior of an NFL offensive line and even after the gruesome injury, will likely have staying power in the league.

2024 NFL Combine Stats

6-6, 309 pounds

NFL.com Analyst Lance Zierlein’s breakdown on Zinter

“Zinter enters the league with NFL size, toughness and technique. He is an average athlete in short spaces but is very capable of climbing to the second level with good angles and making hits on short pulls. He can be stood up and neutralized by two-gapping pluggers but is rarely beaten soundly. His pass protection will be average by NFL standards. Active rushers will give him more issues than you might like. Zinter’s draft stock might be hindered by the recovery from his injury, but the tape suggests he’s a starter on the next level.”

2023 Stats and Accolades

Unanimous first-team All-American
First-team All-Big Ten
Captain

Wolverine Digest Breakdown

After breaking his tibia and fibula towards the end of last season, Zinter is still recovering from the massive injury. At Michigan, Zinter was one of the most reliable blockers among a two-time Joe Moore Award-winning group and started 42 games for the Wolverines, all but one at right guard. At the next level, Zinter likely sticks at offensive guard and it may take him some time to acclimate post-rehab, but he’s a fairly mobile road grader who had a lot of responsibility in college and lived up to every bit of it.

What do you expect from Zak Zinter at the next level? Will he develop into a Pro Bowler once he’s healed up? Let us know and follow @EricJRutter on Twitter for more Wolverine Digest updates.