The Bills snag defensive tackle Zane Durant with their final fifth-round pick, adding a productive Nittany Lion with a knack for sacks to their defensive front.
With the last pick of the fifth round (181), the Buffalo Bills added another piece of defensive depth by selecting defensive tackle Zane Durant out of Penn State.
The 181st pick was acquired, along with pick 213, as part of a trade with the Detroit Lions for pick 168.
At 6-1, 290 pounds, Durant's not the biggest DT available, but he did have a productive career with the Nittany Lions. In four seasons in Happy Valley, he had 89 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and one interception.
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Skillset-wise, Durant is quick off the snap and has a lateral agility that can mix up offensive linemen. His speed stood out during the NFL Scouting Combine when lead all defensive tackles with a 4.75 40 time. With his smaller size for the position, he can also track outside runs and screen passes better than most tackles.
The reason he likely fell to the end of the fifth is not only because of his size, but his production didn't match the potential. He struggles against double teams and was unreliable trying to tackle bigger players.
Fans shouldn't expect him to come in and compete for any starting snaps. He's likely to see time on special teams and, possibly, in a slight rotation on defense. Unless he shows out in training camp and the preseason, the only way Durant is seeing meaningful snaps on defense as a rookie is if injuries pile up.
With the fifth round complete, Buffalo has two more picks. As it stands, the team has one in the sixth (213) and one in the seventh (220).
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