Zacch Pickens 

Pos: IDL

School: South Carolina

Ht. 6’4

Wt. 291

Games Watched: Kentucky, Arkansas, Georgia

One Liner: Powerful defensive tackle who wins with functional strength, quickness, and technique

Strengths: 

  • Elite functional strength. Pickens dominates at the POA, and flashes excellent wins with raw power and a great anchor. At the very worst, Pickens will hold up and eat blocks at the POA. However, this is a solid floor and the flashes look like something teams could really capitalize on at the next level. He has a great anchor to hold up against combo blocks. 
  • Very good first step quickness. PIckens has a great first step off the line, and can attack straight into gaps with ideal timing and precision. Pickens first step opens up a plethora of options that he flashes, including a great swim move and push+pulls. 
  • Very good technique. Pickens plays with above average technique, and is an active hands user and plays with good placement. At the POA, Pickens makes use of good technique to keep himself active on plays and involved in the rush or getting an arm out to plug a lane. 
  • Good explosiveness. Pickens flashes NFL explosiveness off the line, and when he keys the play with his instincts, he can be a big time disruptor in the backfield. However, Pickens’ explosiveness comes in flashes right now, and isn’t consistent on a play by play basis.

Weaknesses:

  • Adequate fluidity. In space and in the backfield, Pickens lacks the fluid movements to recover from overcommitting or redirections. He isn’t the best at changing directions, and lacks the fluidness in his hips to extend outside to even a 4i role at this point. 
  • Adequate size. Pickens’ size puts him in an interesting spot, as he plays like a dominant 3t or even 2i, but he lacks the bulk and size to fit perfectly into these roles at the next level. Similarly, he lacks the fluidity to be an outside rusher.
  • Adequate play recognition. Pickens has a hit or miss recognition for plays early on their development, and this often decides the impact he will have. If he is a little late to diagnose, Pickens could very easily take false steps in deciding where to attack, leading to an easy neutraliziation for the offensive line, but this can go both ways.

Overall Assessment:  Zacch Pickens is an underrated defensive lineman who presents great strength and anchor at the point of attack, and will be his selling point in the pros. He is a good competitor at the POA, and plays with good technique, and flashes Pro Bowl caliber quickness out of his stance. His explosiveness and get off is a bit hit or miss as of right now, and I would say this primarily stems from play recognition and wasted steps Pickens might take in order to truly read and react to the play. There are some size concerns as he may not be big enough for his playstyle in the pros, and not small or athletic enough to play a 4i, 5t role. 

Scheme Fit: 2i or 3t that will be primarily a one gapper but flashes two gapping potential.

Pick Projection: 2nd round

Grade: 6.35