Athletic Profile
Height: 6034
Weight: 316
Arm Length: 32 7/8”
40 Time: 5.23
10 Yard Split: 1.78
Vertical: 32 1/2”
Broad Jump: 807
3-Cone: 7.58
Shuttle: 4.70
Relative Athletic Score: 9.50
* Indicates Recorded At Pro Day
Statistics
2022: 0 SK - 4 PR - 2 PEN - 99.5 EFF
2021: 0 SK - 4 PR - 0 PEN - 98.9 EFF
Pros
Wide Frame w/ Good Length
Strong Anchor Ability in Pass Pro
Clean Footwork
Powerful Hands
Cons
Average Mobility
Struggles to Sustain Blocks @ 2nd Level
Inconsistent Hand Placement
Poor Habit to Lunge And Recover
Summary
Chandler Zavala began his collegiate career at Fairmont State after only playing one year of organized high school football. After three years at Fairmont he transferred to North Carolina State prior to the 2021 season. Zavala had his 2021 season cut short due to a back injury but rebounded to start 12 games for the Wolfpack in 2022, a season in which he did not allow a sack.
Zavala is a wide framed offensive lineman with above average length for the position. He utilizes his size to drive defenders at the point of attack. Zavala shows a strong ability to displace lineman in the run game. He has powerful hands that allow him to stun defenders. When he locks on he is difficult to disengage from. Zavala is a bigger player that has average mobility. He is inconsistent at winning on reach steps and converting backside cut off blocks. His lack of lateral mobility hurts his ability to sustain blocks at the second level even though he has clean footwork when climbing. Zavala generally shows good balance due to his low center of gravity but when he is caught reaching he ends up on the ground far too often.
As a pass protector Zavala shows strong mirroring ability in his pass sets. When combined with an excellent anchor he is very difficult to get around. An intelligent and experienced player he passes off stunts cleanly and squeezes the A gap well when left free. Zavala displays the same heavy hands in the pass game, routinely striking and stunning pass rushers. He does need to clean up his punch location at the next level. Too often does his outside punch land outside rushers frame and grant them an avenue to rip, something his hand strength let him get away with at the collegiate level. When Zavala is beat in pass protection it is typically due to slow footwork. Quicker rushers are able to attack his up field shoulder and he lacks the lateral mobility to recover. Similar to the run game when he is put in recovery mode he over-extended and struggles with balance.
Zavala is a powerful guard who is excellent in the run game and pass protection. There are very few concerns in his game that cannot be fixed with technique. The biggest questions on his report will be age (24 on draft night) and the recurring back injury. If Zavala’s medical check out he projects as a starting caliber left guard preferable in a gap run scheme that can be found on Day 2 of the draft.
Grade: 5.95 - Third Round Grade (Has A Chance To Contribute)
Games Watched: Clemson (2021), Clemson (2022), Texas Tech (2022)