Zacch Pickens NFL Draft Overview
Position: Defensive Tackle/Interior Defensive Lineman
Height: 6′-4″
Weight: 305 pounds
School: South Carolina
2023 NFL Draft: Zacch Pickens Scouting Report
Zacch Pickens began his college career with the Gamecocks in 2019. He played in all 12 of the team’s games and played defensive line in eight of those contests. For the season Pickens had 16 total tackles (eight solo, eight assisted). In his second season in Columbia, Pickens played in all 12 games while racking up 35 tackles (16 solo, 19 assisted) and one sack.
In 2021, Pickens once again appeared in all of the Gamecocks games (13), making 38 tackles (23 solo, 15 assisted), four sacks, one fumble recovery, and one pass defended. During his final season in the Palmetto State, Pickens amassed a career-high 42 tackles (22 solo, 20 assisted), including 2.5 sacks, while also recovering a fumble for the second straight season and defending against a career-high three passes.
Strengths
- Recognizes opponents blocking scheme, instantaneously;
- Fights off his blocker to make tackles;
- Uses long arms to gain separation and open tackle lanes;
- Above average hand-fighting skills;
- Strong lower body; is consistently in a tackle-ready, position; balanced.
Weaknesses
- Has an average defensive lineman frame and build;
- Struggles with aggressive offensive linemen, who are known for driving defenders back in run blocking;
- Has trouble playing more than one gap;
- Bull rush leaves a lot to be desired; Not NFL-caliber;
- Has a tendency to get too tall, causing momentum to easily be shifted out of the play-making area.
NFL Comparison: Jordan Elliott
Teams With Need At Position: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, New Orleans Saints
Projection: Round 4-5
Bottom Line on Zacch Pickens
Zacch Pickens has a lot of upside. He is able to easily recognize the blocking scheme of the opponent, gets off of his blocker and makes tackles, and helps his fellow defenders by opening tackle lanes using his above-average, long arms.
Pickens also has above-average hand-fighting skills and a strong lower body that enables him to maintain his balance and frequently get into a tackling position. One thing that does stand out about Pickens is his durability. In 48 games over his four seasons at South Carolina, Pickens appeared in 47 of the 48 (98%).
A team will likely use a pick on him in either Round 4 or 5 of the NFL Draft. Teams may be leery of Pickens’ average frame and build. Additionally, he does struggle against strong offensive linemen that can drive their opponents back on running plays.
Pickens is also notorious for choosing one gap to attack and has difficulty shooting more than one gap. His bull rush is not comparable to an NFL-experienced lineman’s at this point. Pickens also can get too tall, which enables his opponent to manipulate his momentum and take him out of the play-making area. Overall, Pickens’ strengths seem to outweigh his weaknesses and the team that drafts him may be rewarded for taking a chance in the mid-to-late rounds.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
