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2026 NFL Draft: What pick Zane Durant wants to bring to Bills defense
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- 2026 NFL Draft: What pick Zane Durant wants to bring to Bills defense
The Bills drafted Zane Durant out of Penn State in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, taking the defensive tackle at No. 181 overall.
The Bills were predicted by a number of analysts in the media to select a big, gap-filling, run-stuffing DT in the draft to man the middle of their new 3-4 defense under coordinator Jim Leonhard .
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At 6-foot-1 and 290 pounds, Durant doesn't fit that profile, but that of a certain type of DT Bills fans will be familiar with, an athletic and dynamic one with explosive speed and strength. If that sounds familiar, look no further than his new teammates, Ed Oliver and Deone Walker .
"I had great conversations with the Bills and the D-line coach (Pat Meyer)," Durant said to the media. "I talked to him, and he said he liked my style of play, corrected me with some things I can get better at. Always trying to find a way to get better, so I have a great relationship with him."
When asked to describe his style of play, he replied, "Violent, fast, physical, and relentless. I'm fast off the ball, and I'm explosive, I'm strong at the point of attack. So, trying to get that down with how they play ball up there and learn as much as I can."
The wait to see where he would be drafted had him on the edge of his seat, and he seemed relieved to be a Bill and to be looking forward to getting to work.
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"To be honest, I'm no waiting guy," Durant added. "I like to get stuff done, but that's a part of the process. I'm just blessed, and I'm grateful for the opportunity."
The three-year starter in four years with the Nittany Lions played in 53 games and had 40 starts in the Big Ten. He also offers versatility across the defensive line, playing mostly at three-technique at Penn State while moving to different spots thanks to his burst.
"I'm a three-tech at heart, but I played all around in college," Durant said. "I'm ready for whatever."
Durant does have short arms (31 ⅞ inches), which he overcame in college with quickness and strong hands, though linemen can move him out of the way in short-yardage and goal-line situations. For his part, he believes that his explosiveness will fit in the rotation alongside Oliver and Walker.
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"I'm fast off the ball, and I'm explosive, I'm strong at the point of attack," Durant explained. "So, (I'm) trying to get that down with how they play ball up there and learn as much as I can."
At Lake Nona High School, he moved from linebacker to defensive end in his freshman year, and even played on the offensive side as well in his senior season, scoring five touchdowns. While in high school, he set records for sacks (24.5) and tackles for loss (57). He also brings leadership as a team captain for Penn State in 2025.
"(I) lead by example. I don't ask nobody to do nothing that I don't do myself."
His new head coach has a vision for Durant and his fit on the line as well.
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"When you look at our defensive line right now, there has been a lot of investment in draft capital in the last couple of years," Buffalo HC Joe Brady said . "Then you get here this year, we were able to get Zane. There is a lot of youth in there, and you can never have enough D-linemen. You look at the waves that teams are going against, speaking from a guy calling plays, it's always good when you see the second line coming in. I think the best teams you go against, there is not a huge dropoff when the second line is coming in. So I think that's important that we're always continuing to have the competition, but also making sure that we're deep in those rooms."
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: What pick Zane Durant wants to bring to Bills defense
