A former Penn State starter whose elite combine athleticism helped him land with Buffalo in the fifth round of the 2026 draft.
Zane Durant became a full-time starter on Penn State's defensive line as a sophomore and turned heads at the NFL Scouting Combine with rare movement skills for an interior defender. The Florida native was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft to add athletic upside to the defensive tackle rotation.
Path to the league
Durant, born May 6, 2004, starred at Lake Nona High School in Orlando, Florida, where he set the school's career sacks record with 24.5 and was twice named Defensive Player of the Year. He played four seasons at Penn State from 2022 to 2025 and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round, 181st overall, of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Durant became a full-time starter for Penn State as a sophomore in 2023, recording 17 tackles and two sacks that season, and remained a fixture on the defensive line through his senior year. At the NFL Combine, his athleticism score of 92 ranked second among all defensive tackles, and he ran the fastest 40-yard dash by a defensive tackle since 2023 at 4.75 seconds.
2025 season recap
Durant closed out his Penn State career as a returning starter on the Nittany Lions' defensive line in 2025, then used a standout pre-draft process, headlined by his combine speed and athleticism testing, to boost his stock ahead of being drafted by Buffalo.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Zane Durant
- ESPN: Zane Durant
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Penn State
- Hometown
- Lake Nona, FL, USA
- Age
- 22
- Status
- active
