Zane Durant DT Penn State |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #28 SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/20/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.75 seconds (98%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 22.2 DOB: 05/06/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #28 | |
| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |
| Last Updated: 03/20/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.75 seconds (98%*) | |
| Age: 22.2 DOB: 05/06/2004 | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 81.3 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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77% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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61% |
| Pass Rush: |
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70% |
| Run Defense: |
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69% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
6th
Overall Rank:
#181
Position rank:
#39 (DL)
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| College Games: 53 College Snaps: 1616 | ||
ESPN RATING: 81/100
College Combine Results
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247 RATING: 89/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jordan Jefferson - LSU |
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73% |
| Scott Matlock - Boise State |
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71% |
| Osa Odighizuwa - UCLA |
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68% |
Drafted: ROUND: 5 - Pick Number: 181 (BUF)
Draft Profile: Bio
The Florida native has steadily risen through the ranks at Happy Valley since arriving as a four-star recruit from Lake Nona High School. Durant wasted no time making his presence felt, appearing in all 13 games as a true freshman before earning 11 starts his sophomore campaign where he notched 17 tackles and 5.5 TFLs. That sophomore season offered a glimpse of his disruptive potential when he recorded a monster game against Northwestern with three tackles for loss - becoming the first Penn State defensive tackle to hit that mark against a Big Ten opponent since 2016.Durant's trajectory continued upward during his junior season, where he started all 16 games and registered career-highs across the board with 42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. The interior defender turned heads with multi-TFL performances against Northwestern, Illinois, and Minnesota, showcasing the quick-twitch athleticism that has NFL scouts intrigued. His consistent production earned him All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition from both coaches and media, validating his development from rotational piece to full-time difference-maker.
What truly separates Durant is the athletic profile packed into his somewhat undersized frame. His eye-popping testing numbers landed him on Bruce Feldman's Freaks List at #38 in 2023, where he turned heads with a blazing 4.66 forty-yard dash, 4.44 shuttle, and 9'10" broad jump - elite numbers that hint at the explosive first step that shows up consistently on game film. After flirting with the 2025 NFL Draft process, Durant opted to return for his senior season, setting the stage for what could be a draft-stock-boosting campaign as the anchor of Penn State's interior defensive line.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Athletic testing profile belongs to a first-round pick, not a Day Three prospect.
- First step off the snap is among the quickest you will find at the position.
- Lateral agility shows up on tape when working stunts and twist games.
- Low pad level is natural, not coached, giving him consistent leverage at the snap.
- Tracks screens and chases down perimeter plays with real closing burst.
- Versatile alignment history at Penn State across multiple interior techniques.
- Disruptive penetrator who collapses the pocket quickly when slanting into a gap.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Production never matched the athletic profile across four years of college tape.
- Short arms and compact frame make it hard to keep blockers off his chest.
- Gets driven off spots by double teams and coordinated combo blocks.
- Tackling has been unreliable, with too many missed attempts in 2023 and 2024.
- Pass rush plan is thin; stalls out when the initial burst gets countered.
- Senior year grading went backward, not forward, in run defense and overall play.
- Overpenetrates gaps at times, opening cutback lanes against zone runs.
Scouting Report: Summary
The central question with Durant is one every scout has to answer: why didn't the production catch up to the athleticism? His Combine workout was that of a first-round defensive tackle. He ran faster than Mahomes and Prescott, ranked second among DTs in overall athleticism, and posted top-five jumps at the position. Those are rare numbers. But his grading at Penn State sat in the average range for run defense and pass rush across four seasons, his tackling was a real problem for two consecutive years, and his senior year was actually his worst graded campaign. That is a late-round production profile attached to a first-round body, and it is why he sits in the Day Three conversation.The disconnect makes sense on tape. Durant's size and arm length limit him as a hold-the-point defender. When blockers get hands on him, he lacks the length to work free. His pass rush toolbox is shallow; he wins with the initial burst or he does not win. Over 1,600 career snaps, the absence of a reliable counter move or consistent hand plan is hard to ignore. Athletic gifts alone do not produce sacks, and the film confirms that.
There is a real NFL role here if the scheme fits. Durant belongs in a one-gap defense with heavy line movement, slants, and twist games. As a rotational 3-technique in sub packages and obvious passing situations, he can provide interior quickness that most backups cannot. The ceiling is a useful situational rusher. The floor is a camp body who tests great and cannot hold up on Sundays. Which outcome he lands on depends on whether an NFL DL coach can build a technical foundation under those physical tools.
Written By:
K.C. Martinez (Big Ten)
Zane Durant percentiles vs other Defensive Tackles (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Zane Durant (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
156.1
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
42.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.