Zach Zenner, the Skeptical Take

Aug 20, 2015; Landover, MD, USA; Detroit Lions running back Zach Zenner (41) carries the ball against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Most Detroit Lions fans have latched onto Zach Zenner as the top candidate to replace Joique Bell as the bigger back in Detroit’s running back by committee. The second-year pro is already a fan favorite even though he’s seen scant regular-season action.

It’s easy to see why. Zenner is affable, well-spoken and carries himself in a fan-friendly way. He also had some impressive highlights in the 2015 preseason as an undrafted free agent out of South Dakota State.

I would like to drink the Zenner Kool-Aid. After all, I had a favorable opinion after meeting Zenner and watching him up close and personal in the 2015 Shrine Game. He was there as a fullback but saw plenty of action with the ball in his hands at halfback too.

He was impressive, but not overly so. I actually liked John Crockett, now battling for a job with the rival Packers, more as a runner. Zenner was good at taking what the blocking provided, but he wasn’t dynamic out in space and didn’t have the acceleration to get out of trouble if the defense beat the blocking. That was in practice sessions where hitting was largely curtailed.

Zenner won a role based on his versatility, effort and upside. It didn’t hurt he came cheap. He produced well in preseason games, though during his brief regular season foray he wasn’t nearly as successful:

Preseason–35 carries, 183 yards, 5.2 YPC; 8 catches, 66 yards
Regular season–17 carries, 60 yards, 3.5 YPC; 2 catches, 11 yards

A rib injury and collapsed lung ended his season after the first Chicago game. It was a disappointing, painful end to his rookie year.

Despite the bad injury and the meager statistical output, many folks have gravitated to Zenner as the answer to the Lions’ endemic rushing woes. It’s not just Detroit fans, either; several fantasy sites and publications have trumpeted No. 34 as a potential breakout candidate.

To quote Lee Corso, “not so fast my friend”…

Zenner is closer to not making the final 53-man roster than he is establishing himself as the top “big” back in Detroit’s offense.

Even with Joique Bell gone, it’s not a certainty Zenner takes over the role that netted Bell 90 carries and 22 receptions last year.

First, the Lions brought in Stevan Ridley from the Jets in the offseason. He’s a much more proven commodity. Of course his yards per carry has declined in each of his five years, but he is the sage veteran in the RB room right now. That does mean something.

The Lions also drafted a big back in Dwayne Washington. The seventh-rounder from Washington is taller, heavier, quite a bit faster (4.46 to 4.60) and has more suddenness to his movement. His downsides, namely poor hands and less versatility, are legitimately worse than Zenner, but the Lions do have more invested in Washington than Zenner. That also means something.

More from SideLion Report

Then there is George Winn, who was marginally better in 2014 (19 carries, 73 yards) than Zenner was in 2015. Winn has proven his worth on special teams, an area where Zenner did not impress in the ’15 preseason.

Sure, Zenner probably has the best balance of upside and floor of the group. Yet go back up and look at the highlight video. What is he really doing there that none of the other camp combatants can’t do? He doesn’t have a broad variety of moves and there are a few instances where he loses balance in open space. His success was largely, almost entirely predicated upon the blocking and/or defensive mistakes.

I know many do not want to hear this. Zenner is a likable fellow, and it’s neat to have the national fantasy football community buzzing about a Lions RB for once. But for me, I need to see actual tangible evidence he can handle the role before blindly tithing my faith to Zenner.

Home/Lions News