Pegged as a later round or UDFA prospect, Zenner is now listed as a FB by CBS Draft Scout which shows him going in the 6th-7th round. He played for South Dakota State, and generally didn’t face top level opposition, but did normally dominate in games. He’s 5’11”, 223 and has looked pretty fast in games, but only turned in a 4.6 40 at the Combine. And many of the draft sites are decrying his lack of wiggle, tight-hips and conjecturing that he may move to FB to play in the NFL. Funny, because Alfred Morris ran a 4.68 and they said the same kind of things about him.
The only video I’d been able to watch of him was in a game with a truly miserable frozen, snow covered field that players were sliding all over. Found some more video, and this kid’s potential excites me! I’d be all over him in the 6th round.
I’ve long suspected that Coughlin may view prototypical backs through the prism of having shared a backfield with Larry Csonka. He was certainly one of my favorites. Now Csonka was 6’3”, 240 and Zenner is no Larry Csonka. But when I started watching more video certain similarities of running style were almost eerie. Csonka had a way of bucking and lowering his pads when he anticipated making contact, and Zenner does the same thing. Zenner doesn’t have as much power as Csonka, but he’ both faster and quicker.
There a difference between 40 speed and field speed, and Zenner looks a lot faster on the field than his 40. He also has excellent vision and hits the crease with no hesitation or wasted motion. And I don’t see a player with the problems many assign to him. He’s effective in the open field using a combination of power plus some speed and elusiveness. He appears to have great vision, finding small creases in the defense and taking the best angle to avoid defenders.
And it keeps getting better. He can pass block and pickup blitzing LB’s, and has great hands catching the ball out of the backfield. AND HE ALMOST NEVER FUMBLES! NFL.Com faults him as “Needs improvement on acceleration through contact.” Now that sound pretty authoritative, though I’m not sure what it means, but I see a runner on video breaking tackles, dragging tacklers and always seeming to manage to get an extra 2 or 3 yards when he’s tackled.
I don’t expect to see him a Giant, though I'd love it, but this young man has impressed me beyond all my imaginings as a late round prospect. I think he could have a pretty good career. And he seems to be the kind of RB and player that’s right up Coughlin’s alley.
Video: 2014 Highlights - (
New Window )
Video: 2013, #31 vs. Nebraska - ( New Window )
FB is code for white RB.
It starts in HS......my buddies son recently broke rushing record and TD in PA........only got a partial scholarship to shippenburg.
You have a better shot at seeing a unicorn.
He probably will be a star at New England.
2013 Highlights - ( New Window )
Against Illinois State.
And he had 103 yards and 2 TD's against Missouri.
2014 Stats -
2,019 yards rushing
28 receptions for 331 yards.
22 TD's
6 yards per carry avg.
Made coffee for the coach!
Zenner's 2014 Stats. - ( New Window )
sjnyfan : 2/12/2015 9:40 am : link
He's the only player in NCAA history to have 3 2000 yd seasons and was 11 yards from being the all time FCS leader. He did it against FBS teams too though despite playing with 10 other players who probably won't have NFL careers. In three starts against FBS opponents I believe he averaged over 150 yards a game with at least 100 in each. He ran for 202 against Nebraska. He has everything you want in an RB: patience, vision, power and functional game speed, which for him everyone underrates. He has ability in the return game, blocks for his QB and good hands out of the backfield with nearly 100 career catches.
For everything he is on the field, he's arguably better off of it. He's very active in community service, top notch student, two time team captain and has already been accepted to med school.
He's currently working out with former gold medal champ Michael Johnson in preparation for the combine. Keep an eye on him next weekend because despite the small school, he will be drafted.
Zenner is vastly underrated and I agree that race plays a role. You know the funny thing? He picked the same agent as Danny Woodhead. LOL. Seriously though some team is going to pick him probably 2-3 rounds later than he should go and he'll outlast and have a better career than most of the players picked before him. He's a legit RB and one I really, really want in blue.
Speaking of Woodhead, he went undrafted back in '08. 23 RBs were drafted that year and with his numbers he definitely should've been one of them. If you go back and look at that class now, how many would you take before him?
it sounds like zenner has a lot of great positives and has certainly produced including against good teams. but just because he's a "unicorn" doesn't mean he's going to make it either - two words: sean bennett.
I think that may be a little excessive, but it's interesting to see that at least some other people think he can play. I'd take him no higher than the 6th, unless that pick can be better spent.