Penn State to Philadelphia Pipeline Could Add A New Name

Penn State Football has graced Philadelphia with a couple of solid players in recent years, including the NFL’s 2024-25 Offensive Player of the Year, Saquon Barkley. Philadelphia may not have drafted Barkley, but he’s certainly made a home there.

In this upcoming draft cycle, Philadelphia could be interested in Penn State’s Zane Durant, a 21-year-old defensive tackle from Lake Nona, Florida. Durant stands at 6-feet tall, 290 pounds — considerably small for a defensive tackle. Despite this, Durant excelled in his time at Penn State.

Durant appeared in every game Penn State played during his four-year tenure except the Pinstripe Bowl, which numerous seniors opted out of to stay healthy. He may have played every game his freshman year, but Durant burst on the scene in his second season. He made eleven starts, racking up 17 tackles, 12 solo, 5.5 for loss, two sacks, and a fumble recovery.

In 2024, he asserted himself as a defensive tackle; 42 tackles, 11 for loss, and three sacks. In his last season in the blue and white, Durant racked up four sacks, 4.5 for tackles for loss, and an interception. He displayed explosiveness and a dynamic ability to make tackles outside of the box.

This is highlighted by the NFL’s combine analysis of Durant. His athleticism is ranked first among defensive tackles, as well as his 40-yard-dash time of 4.75, which turned some heads on Thursday in Indianapolis. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein used words like “twitchy” and “disruptive” to describe Durant’s ability to launch off the line of scrimmage. However, his stature limits his ceiling. With a smaller frame and shorter wingspan, Durant will be limited in disrupting the passing game as a static defender.

Due to the latter, Durant isn’t expected to be picked high; early mock draft suggests he lingers in the late-third to fourth-round area. For the Eagles, he could be a solid day three draft pick that may not elevate the defensive line, but provides solid depth for longer drives that require substitutions.

Currently, the Eagles have a few options on the interior defensive line. Players like Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, and Moro Ojomo will dominate the snap-count for the Eagles, but Byron Young and Ty Robinson get mixed in as well. Davis, Carter, and Ojomo are all heading into a contract-year, and it’s in the Eagles’ best interest to at least keep the former two. This doesn’t leave a lot of room for Durant to see playing time, and it’s more likely he’ll fit into a role like Robinson, who saw minimal snaps last season.

In comparison to the current Eagles defensive linemen, Durant is small. His fellow Floridian, Jalen Carter, is six-foot-three, 314 pounds, and has displayed great arm-extension that disrupts plays without beating his man. All five of the interior defensive linemen on the depth chart are listed as at least three inches taller than Durant, and certainly have more extension.

Durant would add a different body type and skill set to a largely power-based interior group.

The Eagles also have an interesting connection to Durant, besides sharing the same state as his alma mater. Defensive lineman Jalen Carter grew up in the same area as the former Penn Stater. Durant said he faced Carter in sports growing up and has reached out to him before to talk. Additionally, Durant played in the Senior Bowl under Eagles defensive lineman coach Clint Hurtt, so if anyone can attest to his ability in-house, it would be Hurtt.

The Penn State product has met with the Eagles on a few occasions, including this past Wednesday and at the Senior Bowl. It’s clear the Eagles have shown interest in Durant, and the feeling is mutual as Durant said it would be a “blessing” to play for the organization and under Hurtt’s coaching.

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