Detroit Lions: Zach Zenner has earned his place in the backfield

Zach Zenner enjoyed a mini-breakout at the tail end of the 2016 NFL season, and the Detroit Lions should allow him the chance to build on his success.

In NFL circles, Detroit Lions running back Zach Zenner is hardly a household name. An undrafted player from a loaded 2015 running back draft class, he flies under the radar. In spite of a highly decorated college career and a handful of extremely productive NFL performances, he is largely seen as a depth player and rotational back.

But is this perception accurate?

It’s probably too early in his career to make this determination, but there is ample evidence to suggest that Zenner is a potentially special player. It all starts with his impressive athletic profile, which is best exemplified by his SPARQ score. SPARQ scores have become all the rage in recent years, as evaluators have adapted new techniques as a means of gauging a player’s athletic ability. Per Jason B. Hirschhorn of Top End Sports:

"One way to compare athletic scores is SPARQ, a metric devised as an athlete “SAT.” Its name comes from how it uses existing workouts to create a composite of a player’s speed (S), power (P), agility (A), reaction (R) and quickness (Q). Zach Whitman of Field Gulls and Three Sigma Athlete replicated the formula, originally from Nike, and each year provides SPARQ numbers for the incoming draft class."

So clearly, there is substantial testing that goes into determining these scores and the data provides a fairly reliable tool of measurement. As such, teams and fans place a significant amount of stock in the results, and they have become very important over the last several seasons.

This is where Zenner is truly impressive. After accumulating a stunning three 2,000-plus rushing yard seasons at South Dakota State, he made waves by posting the third-highest SPARQ score in the entire 2015 running back draft class with a tally of 130.0 (per Zach Whitman of Rotoworld).

In fact, the only two runners to best that number that season were current Lions starter Ameer Abdullah (142.5) and Arizona Cardinals sensation David Johnson (139.7). Keep in mind that this was a collection of tailbacks that also featured names like Todd Gurley, Melvin Gordon, Jay Ajayi, and Tevin Coleman. Add all of that up, and it’s pretty hard not to be impressed with Zenner’s showing.

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Of course, none of this is to say that he is a better player than any of those men, but the numbers show that he does, in fact, possess innate athleticism superior to most of them. So then, why isn’t he a better-known commodity?

For starters, as mentioned before, he was undrafted. In spite of his sensational college statistics, he came out of a small program and was not among the 22 running backs who heard their names called in 2015. While the burden of expectation goes hand-in-hand with being a high pick, consequently, undrafted players aren’t afforded the luxury of hype.

When Zenner signed on with the Lions as an UDFA, there was some excitement in the analytics community, but by and large, most of the fanfare surrounded Abdullah, a mega-talent out of Nebraska that the team had taken in the second round. Joique Bell was still on the roster and coming off his best season as a pro, and high-upside receiving back Theo Riddick was starting to make a name for himself as well. Clearly, Zenner was in the mix for a roster spot, but little else.

Although he ultimately made the team and even saw some gameday action in his rookie year, his season ended after only 17 carries, as the youngster suffered cracked ribs and a partially collapsed lung during a Week Six contest against the Chicago Bears. It was a scary situations to endure, but Zenner was prepared to fight his way back onto the field.

Fast forward to 2016, and Zenner stepped up for the Lions in a big way. With virtually every running back on the roster sidelined by significant injuries, Zenner stepped into a workhorse role during the last two weeks of the season as the team made its final playoff push. Quarterback Matthew Stafford had just sustained a broken finger on his throwing hand that limited his effectiveness, so for all intents and purposes, Zenner was relied upon to carry the entire offense.

And he was ready for the challenge.

Oct 23, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions fullback Zach Zenner (34) stretches before the game against the Washington Redskins at Ford Field. Lions won 20-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

In important games against the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, Zenner accumulated 136 rushing yards and three touchdowns, while adding 66 receiving yards in the process. Zenner averaged a solid 4.25 yards per carry and a sensational 11 yards per reception during this stretch. In fact, the sophomore’s 202 total yards during those contests are even more impressive considering that the Lions were forced to all but abandon him during the second half of each game due to sizable deficits.

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Even during the team’s ugly 26-6 postseason loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Zenner was productive in the passing game, catching all six of his targets for 54 yards as the Lions played from behind. Yes, it was a very small snippet of what Zenner could accomplish as a featured runner, but he made the absolute most of it and opened some eyes in the Motor City.

Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Zenner’s 2016 season was his ability to create yards after contact. Per Pro Football Focus, Zenner’s 2.89 yards after contact per attempt ranked 13th in the entire NFL among qualified rushers last year. That’s an outstanding total, and one that highlights his contributions during not only those two remarkable games downs the stretch, but the entire campaign.

However, as the 2017 season approaches, questions linger about what the future holds for the former Mickey Charles Award winner. Abdullah appears to be cemented as the franchise’s leading runner and Riddick is certain to retain his role as the primary pass-catching back. The team still likes 2016 seventh-rounder Dwayne Washington and veteran tailback Matt Asiata was added to the equation back in May. Furthermore, Mike James and undrafted rookie Tion Green are vying for roster spots. All of a sudden, the Lions backfield is looking pretty crowded.

Theo Riddick, Ameer Abdullah, Zach Zenner. How will the Detroit RB situation shake out? pic.twitter.com/CljXmoT8kG
— PFF (@PFF) May 28, 2017

With that said, in spite of the team’s newfound surplus of runners, Zenner needs to be given every opportunity to make use of the considerable ability he demonstrated during the stretch run of the 2016 season.

While he may not be as incredibly talented as Abdullah or as slippery and shifty as Riddick, Zenner is the biggest X-Factor in the team’s backfield. A jack of all trades with considerable upside who can run, catch, handle short yardage duties, and even contribute on special teams, he can be deployed in a variety of situations for maximum success.

Boasting a sturdy 5-11, 220-pound frame, there isn’t another tailback on the team who possesses the 25-year old’s combination of size, youth, versatility, and experience in a significant role. While there is no question that Abdullah and Riddick are the premier backfield options on the team, a solid, productive number three runner is necessary, and Zenner is the best man on the roster for such a job.

While it’s unreasonable to expect him to be granted the sort of workload he enjoyed at the conclusion of 2016, it’s clear that he’s earned the opportunity to receive his share of touches while mixing into the gameplan in a variety of ways.

Next: NFL 2017: 20 RBs with best chance a 2,000 yards rushing

NFL interest is largely built upon questions and debates. It is for this reason that fans and pundits spend hours on point-counterpoint arguments about the smallest of stories from around the league. It’s why popular television programs feature analysts going head-to-head trying to prove their respective positions. It’s why the league can run it’s own cable channel the year round, in spite of the fact that the offseason is a seven month ordeal. Simply put, fans are interested in having their questions answered.

After two years as a member of the Detroit Lions, there is no apparent consensus as to what Zach Zenner can accomplish as a professional football player. It’s time for the franchise to give him the opportunity to answer that question once and for all.

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