The Cleveland Browns used their No. 85 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Michigan guard Zak Zinter, a player who starred for the Wolverines at the right guard position.
With both Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller occupying similar roles as starters, questions about where Zinter would fit into the Browns’ offensive line plans began to surface almost immediately after the draft.
Browns insider Tony Grossi revealed his fit for Zinter during a recent video.
On “The Daily Grossi” Podcast, the analyst named Zinter an heir-apparent for either Bitonio or Teller’s job shortly.
“He looks to me like a future starter on the Browns line, probably at right guard,” Grossi said of Zinter.
With a 32-year-old star in Bitonio and a burgeoning contract for fellow lineman Teller, drafting Zinter allowed the Browns to nab a future starter at guard at a reasonable price.
Grossi recounted why Zinter – who was graded as a first-round prospect for much of the year – was available in the third round, noting he broke his leg in the Ohio State game when (now NFL teammate) Michael Hall Jr. was blocked into him.
Zinter missed the NFL Combine due to the injury, but the offensive lineman sent a video of his workouts to pro teams, assuring prospective clubs he had full use of his leg after rehabbing this winter.
The 6-foot-6 lineman was a First-team All-American choice in 2023 and a three-time All-Big Ten selection the past three years.
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