South Dakota State RB Zach Zenner NFL Draft Scouting Report

Having taken a dive into the 2015 NFL Draft class of running backs, I can say with confidence that it’s easily the best that I’ve ever seen. The volume of players coming in this year that can make a mark in the NFL is astonishing, and it continues here with South Dakota State’s Zach Zenner, who has put up incredibly impressive numbers the last three years for the Jackrabbits.

In three years as the starter for SDSU, Zenner has racked up three straight seasons with over 2,000 yards rushing, and has added 66 total touchdowns between rushing and receiving. One of the best playmakers at the FCS level, Zenner has also proven that his abilities are not just suited for the college game — he translates really well to the NFL.

In today’s NFL, running backs need to be able to block and catch passes, perhaps even contribute on special teams to have the best shot at making a roster. Zenner has the look of a guy who can do all these things, but he’s obviously strongest running the football and catching it out of the backfield.

Let’s take a look at exactly what this guy brings to the table, and how he translates to the NFL.

Zenner is a prototype fit for a zone running scheme. While he displays the ability to run inside and play a powerful game, his size and speed combination leads me to believe he would be a tremendous asset for a one-cut and go offense, and he proves that on the tape.

You can see when Zenner gets to the outside, he has really quick feet and makes sharp cuts. He makes smart cuts and is decisive, showing excellent ability to burst downfield and get to the second and third gear he has really quickly. When he gets to top speed, Zenner is really hard to bring down, which leads me to believe he will run really fast at the Combine and probably turn some heads in that regard.

At 6-0, 220 pounds, Zenner has excellent size and is really tough to bring down on first contact. He catches the ball out of the backfield extremely well and shows soft hands when lined up as a receiver as well. Excellent toughness in pass pro and puts his shoulder down, fighting to gain additional yardage consistently.

What you have to love even more about Zenner is the stage has never been too big for him. I remember a couple of years ago at Nebraska, he showed off his skills to the tune of two touchdowns against the Blackshirts and this past year in the season opener against Missouri, he rushed for another pair of scores, averaging over six yards per carry.

Ask Shane Ray about Zach Zenner, and see what he says.

I can’t wait to see this guy get into an NFL camp. Players who work this hard for every single yard are always exciting to watch, and with the influx of young backs coming into the league this year, Zenner is a mid-late round guy who is going to be a steal simply because of the place he played his college ball.

Some people want to project him as a fullback at the next level, and that’s fine, but when you watch this kid play running back you can’t help but get excited about him at that position. He has versatility, though, and if need be could probably stick his nose in there and block as a fullback or play an H-back role, catching some passes. In the end, I view Zenner as an ideal fit in a zone-blocking run game with some power concepts. NFL teams run a little bit of everything these days, but he can be so effective in an offense that consistently uses his ability to make one cut and burst downfield, as well as utilize him in play-action and as a receiver out of the backfield.

He will out-produce his draft position.