Down from nearly 400 pounds, Zach Banner working to show NFL he's worth the weight

Zach Banner once nearly topped 400 pounds. Now he's trying to prove to the NFL that he can trim his weight down to a more reasonable number—and keep it there.

At every step of the NFL draft process, each prospect is weighed, measured and otherwise sized up from all angles as teams try to determine which players will be able to hold up to the physical demands of the professional game. Those tests don’t draw the ratings of the 40-yard dash or pro day, but when you’re one of the largest players in the nation trying to prove you’re disciplined enough to stay in shape, they carry just as much drama.

Zach Banner nearly topped 400 pounds towards the end of his time as USC's hulking 6' 8" right tackle. Now he's trying to prove to the NFL that he can trim his weight down to a more reasonable number—and keep it there. In Episode 4 of Draft Season, Lindsay Schnell chronicles Banner's quest, from an upbringing in which he always stood out to a pre-draft process in which he is working to fit into the NFL mold.

Draft Season is back for a second season to take you behind the scenes of the crazy and fascinating world of the NFL draft. Each pick is a player. Each player has a story. Those stories will be told over the coming days, all the way up until the first team officially goes on the clock on April 27. You can subscribe to Draft Season on iTunes or on SoundCloud to get each new episode as it is released.