Zane Durant DT Penn State | NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Zane Durant DT Penn State
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 05/19/2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 40 time: 4.66 seconds (100%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.0 DOB: 05/06/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SUB-POSITION: DT 3-TECH | |
| Last Updated: 05/19/2025 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| 40 time: 4.66 seconds (100%*) | |
| Age: 21.0 DOB: 05/06/2004 | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: | 86.1 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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79% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
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41% |
| Pass Rush: |
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72% |
| Run Defense: |
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77% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
2nd - Mid
Overall Rank:
#47
Position rank:
#13
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| College Games: 41 College Snaps: 1140 | ||
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) | ||
|---|---|---|
| DeWayne Carter - Duke |
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61% |
| Tyleik Williams - Ohio State |
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60% |
| Ruke Orhorhoro - Clemson |
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55% |
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
- Possesses jaw-dropping athletic tools with a 4.66 forty that translates directly to an explosive first step – jumps off the ball like he was shot from a cannon.
- Built-in leverage advantage allows him to get underneath taller offensive linemen's pads, turning what some call a height disadvantage into a weapon when firing off the line.
- Shows flashes of dominant gap penetration, particularly evident in that Northwestern game where he lived in the backfield and wrecked their entire offensive gameplan.
- Natural weight distribution and core strength enable him to anchor against the run much better than his 290-pound frame would suggest on paper.
- Motor runs scalding hot – consistently chases screens, pursues backside runs, and maintains his energy deep into the fourth quarter when others are gassed.
- Versatility to align at multiple techniques gives defensive coordinators chess piece potential – can slide from 1-tech to 3-tech depending on situation and scheme.
- Lateral quickness jumps off the tape, showing unexpected change-of-direction skills when working stunts or countering against reach blocks in zone schemes.
- Displays surprising power at the point of attack, particularly when he converts speed to power and catches guards sitting back on their heels.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Lacks the ideal length for the position, leaving him vulnerable when offensive linemen get their hands on him first and neutralize his initial quickness advantage.
- Hand usage remains inconsistent – flashes violent, well-placed strikes in some reps but gets caught with passive hands too often against more savvy blockers.
- Struggles with anchor consistency when facing dedicated double teams, getting washed out of his gap occasionally against bigger, coordinated combo blocks.
- Pass rush arsenal is still developing – relies heavily on his God-given burst and occasionally stalls out when initial move is countered.
- Takes himself out of plays by getting too deep in the backfield, creating cutback lanes against zone runs rather than maintaining gap discipline.
Scouting Report: Summary
When the pads come on Sundays, Durant will be a fascinating study in contrasts. That electric first step jumps off the tape and gives him legitimate backfield-penetrating ability, but his technical inconsistencies and frame limitations will create boom-or-bust moments at the next level. The tape shows a defender who can slice through gaps with rare athleticism one play, then get washed out by coordinated double teams the next – making his evaluation dependent on role and usage.Defensive schemes featuring one-gap principles will maximize Durant's quick-twitch explosiveness while masking his anchor issues. His performances against Northwestern and Illinois revealed a disruptor with legitimate interior pass rush potential, though those flashes need to become more consistent to earn every-down snaps. The gap between his run defense and tackling efficiency suggests a player still harnessing his physical gifts – something NFL defensive line coaches will need to develop through technical refinement.
A defensive staff that values penetration from the interior will find ways to unlock Durant's ceiling despite his limitations. The Penn State product has shown enough physical tools and developmental trajectory to intrigue evaluators, yet his senior season must demonstrate improved hand fighting techniques and better gap control to solidify his standing. Durant embodies the modern NFL's shifting prototype at defensive tackle – where the ability to collapse the pocket from the interior trumps traditional two-gap responsibilities for many defenses.
Written By:
K.C. Martinez (Big Ten)
How other scouting services rate Zane Durant (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
64.3
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
13.0
*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.