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2016 NFL Draft: Justin Zimmer Is the Ultimate Sleeper

By Dan Schmelzer

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of the stage before the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /
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Division II defensive lineman Justin Zimmer could be the best kept secret in the 2016 NFL Draft class.

In today’s world where all information is only a tap on your smartphone away, it is rare for anything to fly under-the-radar. If you are as obsessed with the NFL Draft as I am, you know that the draft process is no exception to that. Carson Wentz has quickly gone from a relative unknown prospect to arguably the most well-known player who is entering the 2016 NFL Draft in a few short months.

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It is so easy for a talented late-round prospect to get some hype on Twitter and become the flavor of the month. Whether this player turns out to succeed at the next level or not, if you pay close attention to the draft process, there will be some relatively obscure players who become well-known names to you.

He is starting to create a little bit of buzz, but somehow Division II defensive lineman Justin Zimmer is still flying under-the-radar. Zimmer is a little-known prospect who starred at Ferris State in Michigan and is now making a run at an NFL career. Zimmer was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, but he was able to show his skills to scouts at the Regional Combine in Houston, Texas in February.

Zimmer became a blip on the radar after a strong showing in Houston, but it was his performance at his Pro Day that really started to grab my attention. Since Ferris State is far too small of a school to host their own Pro Day, Zimmer took part in the University of Michigan Pro Day a couple of weeks ago.

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In front of representatives for all 32 NFL teams including defensive line coaches from the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals, Zimmer put on a show. According to NFL Media’s Gil Brandt, Zimmer ran a 4.85 40-yard dash, had a 32 inch vertical leap and 9-foot-9 broad jump to go along with an impressive 4.4 second short shuttle and an incredible 7.01 second three-cone drill.

Those numbers are incredibly impressive for a man who stands at 6’2″ and weighs in at 302 pounds. Zimmer showed incredible natural athleticism and quickness for a big defensive lineman. However, his most impressive drill of the day was his performance in the bench press. Zimmer put up 44 reps of 225 pounds at the Michigan Pro Day. The highest bench press repetition at the combine was 34.

With obvious raw strength and athleticism, Zimmer undoubtedly got the attention of NFL scouts and coaches at the Pro Day. Obviously, the workouts were exciting, but they do not mean everything. How many times have we seen a prospect workout like Tarzan, but play like Jane when the pads come on? As we all know, it happens.

However, the little tape and highlight packages that I can find on Zimmer are incredibly encouraging. It is important to keep in mind that he is playing against low-level competition, but Zimmer absolutely dominated in both the pass rush and against the run. He showed great explosion off of the snap, and his athleticism and raw strength shows up on the field.

Don’t take my word for it. See for yourself:

As you can see, Zimmer was an absolute force to be reckoned with at Ferris State. Opposing offenses continually sent multiple blockers his way, but Zimmer continually shrugged them off on his way to the man with the ball. He is an enticing talent who could become a major late-round steal in the 2016 NFL Draft.

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There is little noise about Zimmer in the draft community, and he is probably not expected to be drafted at this point. I understand that his lack of competition on the field is a massive concern, but in the sixth or seventh round, what is there to lose? Zimmer clearly has the athleticism and strength to at least compete for a spot on the roster.

I am not saying that it is likely, but his skill set and size would translate extremely well for him to be an interior rusher at the next level. I understand that there is a lot of unknown with this prospect, but the numbers and production on the field do not lie.

Football at the Division II level is obviously not the same as the SEC or Big Ten, but they are talented and prideful individuals who did everything they could to slow down Zimmer. As the highlight package above shows, he was consistently able to man-handle them. Obviously he will not be able to do that at the next level, but after testing so well it is fair to think he could be productive.

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Nothing is guaranteed for a late-round pick and a team selecting Zimmer would be no different. NFL teams need to pay attention. Zimmer has legitimate upside as an interior rusher at the next level and is worth a selection in the late rounds. He is the sleeper prospect in the 2016 NFL draft who nobody is talking about, but he needs to be on the radar.

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