The Michigan Wolverines had 13 players drafted after winning the National Championship in 2023, a testament to just how dominant that team was. Even in the most recent draft, key pieces from that title run were selected, including former Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham. The headliner, of course, was J.J. McCarthy, who officially became the Minnesota Vikings’ starting quarterback just a couple of weeks ago with his first start.

One of McCarthy’s former protectors, Cleveland Browns guard Zak Zinter, appeared in all 17 games as a rookie last season and made three starts. During that time, Zinter held a 43.9 grade from Pro Football Focus and just a 35.0 in pass blocking. Things aren’t off to a strong start for Zinter in Year 2, either, and there’s legitimate concern that the former third-round pick may not find his footing in Cleveland with how things are tending.

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Zak Zinter has been a healthy scratch through two weeks

The Browns have made Zinter one of their healthy inactives in each of the first two games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens, which is never a good sign, especially for a recent third-round pick. While it’s not uncommon for rookies or young linemen to take time to develop, the fact that Zinter isn’t even active as a backup to Joel Bitonio or Wyatt Teller suggests where he stands in the pecking order.

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The 6-foot-6, 310-pound lineman is behind Tevin Jenkins as the team’s third guard, and Cleveland has chosen to dress two tackles and former Ohio State center Luke Wypler instead of carrying another interior lineman. Jenkins’ ability to play guard and tackle gives him a clear edge over Zinter, who is limited to guard.

That positional flexibility carries major value and may explain why Zinter is the odd man out. At Michigan, Zinter was an All-American and started 42 games across four seasons in Ann Arbor. The transition to the NFL, however, varies for every player, and it appears Zinter still has work to do. At just 24 years old, he remains young enough to develop and could be one injury away from getting his chance. For now, though, the optics aren’t great, with two healthy scratches to open the season.

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This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Sep 16, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.