From now until the 2026 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way to Day 3 selections and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Penn State DL Zane Durant.
No. 28 Zane Durant/DT Penn State – 6011, 290 pounds (Senior)
MEASUREMENTS
Player Ht/Wt Hand Size Arm Length Wingspan
Zane Durant 6011/290 10 5/8 31 7/8 N/A
40-Yard Dash 10-Yard Dash Short Shuttle 3-Cone
4.75 1.66 N/A N/A
Broad Jump Vertical Bench Press
9’4″ 33.5 N/A
THE GOOD
– Explosive first step to fire off the snap
– First step often creates first contact, putting him in control of the block
– Able to shoot into gaps and disrupt
– Quality athlete with good foot speed
– Shows motor and chase to attack the ball to the sideline and make downfield plays
– Smart rusher on stunts and blitzes, contains well, and does his assignment
– Can convert speed to power to make his bull more effective
– Durable and available with leadership traits
The Bad
– Undersized with short arms and looks miscast up front
– Underdeveloped pass rusher without a go-to move or a clear rush plan
– Struggles to use hands to disengage from blocks in the run and pass game, gets tangled up in blocks too frequently
– Cannot bend through contact, minimizing height mismatch that could work in his favor
– Can’t always finish chances due to a small frame/lack of length
– May be an NFL tweener without a true fit and role
– Average sack production with 2025 impact play regression
Stats
– Career: 89 tackles (22 TFL), 10 sacks, 3 PDs, 1 INT across 54 games (three-year starter, 39 in total)
– 2025: 25 tackles (4.5 TFL), 4 sacks, 1 INT across 12 games
– Career: 1,631 defensive snaps (1,370 B gap, 159 A gap, 91 over/outside tackle)
– 476 defensive snaps in 2025 (410 in B gap, 43 A gap)
– PFF’s No. 304 ranked 2025 defensive tackle of 522 qualifiers (No. 194 pass rusher, No. 361 against run)
– 18 career missed tackles (12 in 2025, 17.5 percent career rate, 7.7 percent in 2025)
– 28 TFL, 15 sacks (school record) as HS senior
Injury History
– No known injuries
Bio
– Turns 22 in May 2026
– Three-star recruit from Lake Nona, Florida
– Chose Penn State over Miami (FL), USC, Indiana, and several other marquee programs
– Committed to Penn State because of the “small town” feel with fewer distractions than Florida schools
– Listed between 250 and 265 pounds when he arrived at college
– Opted out of 2025 Pinstripe Bowl
– Credited DC Tom Allen for development over the final two years, who recruited him at Indiana, once saying, “he helped me grow as a man”
– Played QB, RB, TE, and LB before HS when he made the move to DE; still occasionally played on offense
– Set shot put record on his high school’s track & field team
– Father, Marcus, played center at Florida A&M in the early to mid-1990s
– Multiple sisters played college sports: one at FIU for basketball, another at UCF for track & field
– Hobbies include fishing and gaming
– Wants to become a dietitian or an AD after his NFL career
– Regarded as the vocal leader of the d-line room and was named a 2025 team captain
– No. 8 on Bruce Feldman’s 2025 “Freaks” list; can bench press 425 pounds and squat 660 pounds, along with athletic testing/profile
– Hosted a free youth camp back in Florida in 2023
Tape Breakdown
Zane Durant traveled from the Orlando area to Happy Valley to spend his entire career at Penn State. He broke out in 2024 but couldn’t quite replicate his production in 2025. Undersized, Durant wins with a quick get-off. He fires off the ball, mitigating his frame by shooting gaps and making first contact with offensive linemen.
At his best, his speed-to-power can put linemen on their heels. Or butts. This is a great rep here in the 2024 postseason against Notre Dame.
Durant is gap sound and contains well on loops and stunts, and his foot speed prevents quarterbacks from leaving the pocket. His stats weren’t always gaudy, but there are plenty of plays on tape that don’t show up in a box score. For instance, Durant forced this throwaway from Fernando Mendoza.
But Durant’s diminutive size and length are obvious concerns. He looks tiny on the field. Just as problematic is his unrefined hand use; he struggles to shed blocks against the run and pass. A surprising lack of bend doesn’t help him work through contact, and he remains connected to linemen far too often.
While Durant held up against the run better than expected, his frame will be a problem against double-teams should he play DT at the NFL level. His frame also hinders his ability to finish plays, with a missed-tackle rate far higher than ideal.
Conclusion
Overall, Zane Durant is a gap-shooter with good athleticism, chase, and smarts. His frame is clearly a concern, but his lack of bend and improper hand use are just as problematic. Perhaps he could drop weight and become an EDGE, or heck, maybe even an off-ball linebacker transition would be best for him if he could drop down into the 260-pound range.
He has a couple of interesting traits, but it’s hard to figure out what to do with him or where he’ll win best. My NFL comp is Maurice Hurst Jr.
NFL Projection: Mid-Day Three
Steelers Depot Grade: 6.9 (Spot Starter)
Grade Range: 5.8-7.5
Games Watched: vs Ohio State (2024), vs Maryland (2024), vs Indiana (2025), Assorted Cut-Ups
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