Zacch Pickens 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Georgia IDL

Zacch Pickens, South Carolina: 6’4”, 300 pounds; SR.

The number one defensive tackle recruit in the country for 2019, Zacch Pickens made the SEC Coaches’ All-Freshman Team despite only eight tackles and no sacks across 12 games.

In his second season, he started the final seven of ten games and notched 35 tackles (2.5 for loss and a sack). Pickens started all 25 games in over the last two years and combined for 80 total tackles, nine of them for loss and 6.5 sacks, along with a fumble recovery in each of those and three passes batted down this past season.

Zacch Pickens scout report: Strengths

Zacch Pickens #26 of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts after a play with teammate Rick Sandidge #90

+ Zacch Pickens has the frame of a nose-tackle, but moves much more like a penetrating three-technique and brings a lot of charge off the ball.

+ Brings plenty of pop in his hands and can arch the backs of blockers as he locks them out with those 34 and 3/8-inch arms into them.

+ You can put this guy at a shade nose and he shuts down the front-side by himself at times, as he bench-presses the center into the backfield and wraps up the ball-carrier.

+ Some of the plays, where he hits blockers with that rapid arm-over move off the line, you see him completely make those guys whiff and stand in front of the running back all of a sudden.

+ Highly impressive lateral mobility to work down the line in the zone run game on the front-side, but if he can rip through the play-side shoulder of the blocker in front of him when he’s away from the action, he can create disruption as well.

+ I thought in 2022 he was able to crash through the reach of blockers and flash color in the gap much more regularly.

+ When getting down-blocked, he brings the natural force to create knock-backs and plug the next gap.

+ Even when he does take himself out of run-fits to some degree initially, he can push back against the momentum of blockers and squeeze down gaps.

+ Displays impressive burst to get to the ball on perimeter-oriented plays and screen passes.

+ Brings the natural power to ride interior O-linemen into the depth of the pocket and you frequently see him fully extend to push guys off into back-pedal mode.

+ Has the agility in short areas to effectively work around guards when soloed up in dropback situations.

+ The hands and feet are already pretty well-synced to tightly navigate past blockers rather can widening his path.

+ When he swats down the back-hand of linemen sliding away from him, he can split those quasi-combos with the other blocker trying to get in front of him, because he’s too quick up the field for them.

+ Packs the natural strength to pull blockers aside as he sees the quarterback start to scramble, or at times push those guys into the way.

+ Pickens’ 11.5% pass-rush win rate according to PFF is way higher than his sack numbers would indicate.

+ Consistently pushes off his blocker and elevates with one arm up, to potentially knock down passes if he can’t get home.

+ Towers over quarterbacks, to make them adjust the release and was dropped into the hook area a few times, where his length made it tough to throw crossers behind him.

+ Finished top-five at the combine among the defensive tackles in the ten-yard split (1.74), both the agility drills, the vert (30.5 inches) and broad jump (9’8”), which was tied for the top mark for that group.

Zacch Pickens scout report: Weaknesses

Quarterback Mike Wright #5 of the Vanderbilt Commodores is sacked by defensive lineman Zacch Pickens #6 of the South Carolina Gamecocks

– Zacch Pickens could do a better job of keeping his chest clean and really taking advantage of his length, as well as attacking half the man more effectively, not feeling like he has to peak around blockers as much.

– Part of this is being a miscast in the A-gap to a certain degree, but Pickens lacks a certain discipline in run defense and gets off his landmarks, which hurts the entire unit.

– At this point, I’d say Pickens largely relies on his physical gifts and sort of reacts on the fly, outside of a few reps a game.

– Rushing the passer, that means being pro-active with defeating the hands and getting to his secondary move right away. There are way too many chest-to-chest reps.

– I’d like to see Pickens play with his hair on fire more consistently and fight off blocks.

Zacch Pickens scout report: Grade

Zacch Pickens of South Carolina participates in a drill during the NFL Combine

I felt like I needed to talk about Zacch Pickens here, because while I couldn’t quite fit him into my top-ten, I believe he has the physical tools to become as productive as anybody outside of the first five names. The explosiveness at that size combined with his length and agility are all there to become an impact starter at three-technique.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t protect his frame or play the game at a mental level to a point, to where I would feel comfortable in putting him out there week one, because I think offensive lines can take advantage of him. Put on the Arkansas film and you can see him getting displaced by double-teams and worked on angles with regularity.

If you allow Zacch Pickens to just win his gap and light that fire, he could become a difference-maker, but his floor may be a rotational D-linemen who flashes at times.

Grade: Fourth round

You might like other 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports: Tyree Wilson (EDGE), Texas Tech; Will Anderson Jr. (EDGE), Alabama; Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR), Ohio; Zay Flowers (WR), Boston; Jordan Addison (WR), USC; Jordan Addison (WR), USC; Quentin Johnston (WR), TCU; Zach Charbonnet (RB), UCLA; Bijan Robinson (RB), Texas.

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