2023 NFL Draft Profile: Zacch Pickens, IDL

The Giants could use some additional depth on their defensive line. So how might Zacch Pickens fit in?

Zacch Pickens, IDL

Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 305 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: South Carolina

A highly coveted five-star recruit out of T L Hanna High School in Anderson, South Carolina. Pickens was the number one ranked DL, South Carolina prospect, and the eighth-ranked national prospect in the 2019 cycle. 

According to 247 Sports, he was their database's 217th All-Time ranked player. Pickens received scholarships from many top programs but decided to stay in South Carolina - one of the highest recruits to ever join the Gamecocks.

Notables

Notable high school athlete who logged 87 tackles, 15 for a loss, and six sacks as a senior; this helped Pickens earn the South Carolina Gatorade Football Athlete of the Year and South Carolina’s Mr. Football. In college, he was a consistent honor roll student.

Pickens finished his career at South Carolina with 131 tackles, 11.5 for a loss, and 7.5 sacks with 41 pressures. During his senior season, Pickens had 19 pressure, 3 sacks, 22 STOPs, and 31 tackles. He didn’t necessarily live up to his high pedigree coming out of high school, but he’s still a versatile defensive lineman with NFL traits. Pickens attended the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.

Strengths

• Good length for the position with solid overall athletic ability
• Good thickness throughout his body
• Good lateral agility at the snap allows him to work the half-man and stunt effectively
• Is quick off the snap with good burst
• Quick hands that have power
• At best when utilizing quick hands at the snap or shooting his hands tightly into the chest OL
• Does well to anticipate zone-blocking concepts
• Uses his quick hands/agility to quickly avoid angle blocks for immediate penetration
• Good at undercutting or avoiding stretch-zone blocks with active hands and redirection to penetrate
• Solid job avoiding OL initial contact with anticipatory moves
• Solid overall in 1v1 situations as a run defender
• Does have adequate lower-leg drive as a pass-rusher to bull-rush
• The sack against CLEMSON was a well-timed double swipe and bend - would love to see more plays like that, but he’s capable.

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Weaknesses

• Pad-level consistency can improve
• Can do a better job protecting his chest
• Too often driven back when he doesn’t keep his pad level low
• More of a run defender than a pass rusher, albeit he had some flashes as a pass-rusher
• Struggles to anchor versus double-teams
• Double teams will give him major problems at the next level - must get stronger
• Must improve play recognition on the line of scrimmage when engaged
• Limited experience stringing pass-rush moves together, albeit here was one good example of him doing so:
• TENNESSEE Q1 9:59 1st & 10 but he missed the sack
• Had a missed tackle rate of 17.3% in his senior season
• Leaves some to be desired

Summary

Zacch Pickens isn’t the most athletic defensive lineman. Still, the combination of a well-filled-out frame, his initial quickness, and the flashes of pass-rushing competency give the impression that his massive potential out of high school has yet to be scratched. 

Consistency is an issue with Pickens; when everything is dialed in (low pad level, quick hands to fit, not distracted, etc.), he is a sound-run defender. However, his inability to anchor against double teams is an indictment of his play strength and limits his upside (if that does not improve).

A team will take a chance on Pickens earlier than maybe it’s warranted because of his ceiling and his high draft pedigree. South Carolina slanted and stunted Pickens often, attempting to leverage his agility and quickness. It’s not a terrible way to employ his skill set. 

He aligned more on the right side than on the left; his best early fit may be as an EVEN front 3T. Pickens should start as a rotational defensive lineman who, with the right coaching, can develop into a starting IDL with some pass-rush upside. He needs to be more consistent, dialed in, and stronger at the point of attack to handle combo blocks.

GRADE: 6.0D

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