Discover the Penn State defensive tackle defying draft expectations, boasting explosive athleticism and a unique skill set that could make him an overlooked gem.
The Penn State Nittany Lions hoped to put several athletes in position to be taken in Day 1 or Day 2 of the NFL Draft before the 2025 season.
However, the team struggled last season, firing head coach James Franklin at the midway point with a 3-3 record.
Quarterback Drew Allar was a contender for a first-round draft grade before the season. However, he's looking to be more of a late Day 2 or maybe even Day 3 pick after a dismal start to the campaign ended with an injury in a loss to Northwestern.
One Nittany Lions defender could be a steal in the upcoming draft.
A PSU source told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg that defensive tackle Zane Durant could be a sleeper in the upcoming draft. Durant finished his career with 25 tackles, four sacks, and one interception.
He had 89 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks for his college career. The issue with Durant is that while talented, he's a nice player.
"He's a 3-technique, he's not really an outside guy, he's not really long," the Penn State source told ESPN.
"He won't be on some draft boards because of his style of play, but then the right team will take him, because they'll know how they're going to use him. He's got to be in the right system."
Durant had a strong showing at the NFL combine, running the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash time by a defensive tackle in history. He believes he can play all three downs and has a knack for run defense.
He wasn't surprised by his performance at the combine.
“I’ve always [been] learning," Durant said, via Onward State. "I was never too good to be big-headed. I’ve just tried to continue to grow in every aspect, not just in football, not just in life, but also as a man... I’ve never surprised myself.
"Everything I’ve [done], I believed in it before it happened. I mean, yeah, I put in a lot of work, three or four months of working at it, getting my diet right, things like that. I kind of knew it was going to happen already.”
Durant could be a solid rotational rookie with room to grow. His versatility to be a three-down interior defensive lineman should turn some heads during the weekend of the draft.
In addition to being a solid run defender, Durant pressured plenty of quarterbacks at the college level.