The Buffalo Bills are in a very new era of defense under the tutelage of defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard. The selection of Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant is a perfect reflection of that. The 6’1” 290-pound Durant is the kind of player you pick to spice up the explosive elements of your team on the front.
Durant plays bigger than his size suggests and he has massive hands for a player of his size (10 5/8”), which actually help him significantly. This is a player to put on the field in passing
downs and turn him up. There’s a lot to like about his athleticism, and he tested as such at the NFL Scouting Combine with a ridiculous 4.75 40-yard dash.
The downside with Durant is the size. He gets washed out in the run game routinely and he has problems holding up against the point of attack. He’s also a bit slow to react to where blocks are coming from in that vantage point. As of right now, he has no ability to play all three downs. Durant will need to be schemed up and kept clean as much as possible so he can work.
Durant is one of the rare designated pass rushers who is a defensive tackle and will be a fascinating departure from history. It’s a completely new day for Bills defensive football, and Durant will fill a role as a potential rotation player on passing downs.
