Despite a dip in his draft stock, Penn State's Zane Durant's disruptive potential and quickness land him with a Super Bowl contender, aiming to bolster their trenches.
Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant entered the 2026 NFL Draft being labeled as a "sleeper" pick.
Durant had a solid 2025 campaign, recording 25 tackles, four sacks and one interception. He finished his college career with 89 total tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks.
Durant's draft stock took a hit amid a disappointing season for Penn State in 2025. However, he found a home in Day 3 of the draft.
The Buffalo Bills took Durant with the last pick in the fifth round.
Scouting Report
Lance Zierlein of NFL Media figured Durant would land in the fifth or sixth round of the draft. He's expected to be a rotational lineman in the league.
"Twitchy 3-technique with rare short-area quickness," Zierlein wrote. "Durant's disruptive potential is maximized in slanting/twisting schemes, where he can use his lateral quickness to beat zone blocks, slip into gaps and track down screens.
"His small frame and short arms make him a sitting duck as a static defender, though. His rush moves need to be sharpened and refined to give him the best chance of becoming a rotational, sub-package 3-technique in a gaming front."
How Zane Durant can help the Buffalo Bills
Durant has been preparing hard for the NFL draft. He believes that he has more to learn in the league. He's been changing his eating habits to be a more productive player.
“I’ve always [been] learning," Durant said. "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.”
Outside of Ed Oliver, the Bills have been trying to add depth on the interior defensive line for years. Durant will be a developmental project that could help fix some of the problems Buffalo has had with the trenches.