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Back in August we ranked Zac Kerin among the Top 20 players in the MAC. Honestly, we probably snubbed him. Kerin was the anchor of one of the top offensive lines in the country, yes, the entire country. The three time All-MAC selection (twice a second-teamer, once on first team) is a pro caliber center, with fantastic athleticism and helped pave the way for one of the best rushing attacks in the MAC.
The MAC NFL Draft Scouting Report
More than a dozen MAC players are considered serious candidates for the 2014 NFL Draft. We're breaking each of those players down here.
But now his time at Toledo is up. It's onto the NFL for Kerin, where at 6-foot-5, 310 pounds, he already has the size to be plugged in on an NFL offensive line. But he wasn't invited to the Combine, and struggled in the East-West Shrine Game.
Strength isn't an issue with Kerin, who put up 225 lbs 30 times at his Pro Day, nor is speed—his 5.06 40-yard-dash time is impressive for a 300+pounder—it's technique. Where last year a player such as Eric Fisher was able to go No. 1 overall despite not being rock-solid in his technique, Kerin isn't as athletically gifted.
His footwork is there, but his hands aren't quick enough yet, at least not in the big games such as the Shrine game. He struggled to stick with his point of attack as noted by several experts. Agility is another issue. While Kerin is deceptively quick off the ball, and was used in pulling situations often at Toledo, there's a noted difference between quickness and agility.
This scouting report notes questions about his ability to move laterally and balance, which would make a move to the outside difficult. He also tends to play too high, shifting his center of gravity and reducing his ability to drive. Of course these are all correctable things, but a tweaked hamstring before his Pro Day prevented him from participating in many of the drills that could have negated his weaknesses, meaning he'll have to make the most out of his individual workouts.
Kerin is listed as anywhere from the ninth to the 12th best center in the 2014 Draft Class, and looks to be picked somewhere between the fifth and seventh rounds, or even undrafted. Expect to see his name get called, but likely in the late sixth, or early seventh, by a team looking to eventually transition him to guard.