A unanimous All-American at Michigan who has spent his early Browns career fighting back from injury for a foothold on the interior line.
Zak Zinter arrived in Cleveland as a third-round pick out of Michigan's national championship offensive line, carrying a reputation as one of the best guards in college football. A broken leg suffered in his final college season slowed his path, and he has spent his first two NFL years working mostly as a depth piece while he works his way back to full strength.
Path to the league
Zinter started 42 of 45 games at right guard over four seasons at Michigan and was a team captain on the Wolverines' 2023 national championship squad. He broke his tibia and fibula against Ohio State late in that title season but recovered in time for the draft process. The Cleveland Browns selected him with the 85th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
At Michigan, Zinter won the Joe Moore Award as part of the nation's top offensive line in back-to-back seasons and earned unanimous first-team All-American honors in 2023. He was also a first-team All-Big Ten selection in both 2022 and 2023, cementing his standing as one of the most decorated linemen in the country.
2025 season recap
Zinter has remained a reserve lineman for Cleveland through his first two NFL seasons, appearing in 22 career games with only three starts. His 2025 workload was limited, logging snaps mostly in a rotational and injury-replacement capacity rather than as a regular starter.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Zak Zinter
- Pro Football Reference: Zak Zinter
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Guard
- Group
- offense
- College
- Michigan
- Hometown
- North Andover, MA, USA
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
