The Player
Zenner played for South Dakota State, but if you look past that, you'll find a talented player who was highly productive against division one opponents and dominant against FCS competition, rushing for over 2,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.
As an athlete, he tested extremely well for his 5’11’’, 223-pound frame, posting a 41-inch vertical (third among rookie running backs) and a 6.88 three-cone agility drill, which is outstanding for any prospect. Overall, he profiles similarly to some great power backs in the NFL:
| Name | Hght | Wght | 40 yd | Bnch | Vert | Broad |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zach Zenner | 5' 11" | 223 | 4.6 | 25 | 41" | 121" |
| Mark Ingram | 5' 9" | 215 | 4.62 | 21 | 31½" | 113" |
| Alfred Morris | 5' 10" | 219 | 4.67 | 16 | 35" | 117" |
| Travis Henry | 5' 9" | 223 | 4.61 | 23 | 35½" | |
| Stevan Ridley | 5' 11" | 225 | 4.65 | 18 | 36" | 118" |
| Joique Bell | 5' 11" | 220 | 4.68 | 36½" | 120" | |
| Shonn Greene | 5' 11" | 227 | 4.62 | 19 | 37" | 121" |
| Rudi Johnson | 5' 10" | 227 | 4.57 | 24 | 37½" | |
| Andre Williams | 5' 11" | 230 | 4.56 | 38" | 129" | |
| Isaiah Crowell | 5' 11" | 224 | 4.57 | 23 | 38" | 117" |
The Rudi Johnson comparison is especially striking, and the two have similar bruising, one-cut styles and enough speed to get to the edge. If you're worried about a small school player competing against NFL athletes, just go watch Zenner's game against Nebraska, or his 99-yard run against Kansas.
In addition to his natural running instincts, he looks natural catching the football and has the ability to be a three-down back. In 2014 he added 341 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air in addition to rushing for 2000 yards in three straight seasons.
The Opportunity
The issue is that he landed in Detroit as an undrafted free agent and now sits in the shadow of Joique Bell and rookie second-round pick Ameer Abdullah.
For the Zenner fans, it's worth noting that Bell's Rushing NEP has dipped each of the past three seasons (3.05, -3.12, -7.53), and his yards-per-carry hasn't exceeded 3.9 in two years. And with Abdullah standing only 5’9’’, 205 pounds, perhaps he will simply be an effective change-of-pace back with the team relying on Zenner to replace Bell as the power complement.
While he seemingly didn't impress during OTA's and minicamp, what he does well is maximized when the pads come on. And with Bell still recovering from achilles and knee ailments and perhaps not ready to start camp, it's worth keeping an eye on Zenner in the coming weeks.
Yes, it will take injury or ineffectiveness to get Zenner an opportunity, but both are within the realm of possibility for this Detroit backfield and he's definitely another obscure player to keep an eye on as the season approaches.