The Buffalo Bills used the last pick in Round 5 to select defensive tackle Zane Durant from Penn State. In drafting Durant, it represents Buffalo’s first addition to the defensive tackle room this offseason. Most pre-draft analysis of the Bills’ defense saw a glaring need to add zero-tech nose tackle for new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s 3-4 base system.
However, it’s uncertain whether Buffalo sees Durant as that answer at a perceived need. Draft experts have tabbed Durant’s role as an athletic
three technique in the NFL, and his size reminds of Bills defensive tackle Ed Oliver. At the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, Durant measured in at 6’ 1 1/8” tall and 290 pounds, with 31 7/8” arms and 10 5/8” hands.
Twitchy 3-technique with rare short-area quickness. 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.
