By
Blake Meek on Wednesday, February 12
th 2014
College: Kansas State
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 204
College Statistics | Year | Tackles | Tackles For Loss | Interceptions |
| 2010 | 74 | 4 | 3 |
| 2011 | 58 | 1 | 2 |
| 2012 | 50 | 3 | 5 |
| 2013 | 75 | 3 | 3 |
Positives
Football IQ: Zimmerman is an extremely smart player who calls plays for the Kansas State defense. Zimmerman takes good angles in the run game as well as in the passing game. He doesn’t take missteps often and is generally in great position to make a play on the ball or ball carrier. He can come in and pick up a scheme very quickly and you won’t have to worry about him being out of position and giving up a big play.
Size: Zimmerman has good size for a safety at 6’1” and 204 pounds. He won’t be pushed around by bigger receivers and tight ends. Zimmer can matchup with tight ends in the slot and be able to go up with them. His size also helps in the run game against bigger running backs. Zimmermans size gives him the ability to play in the box, but also play deep coverage against bigger receivers.
Negatives
Athleticism: Zimmerman isn’t a great athlete and it shows when he is on the field. He can’t keep up with smaller, fast receivers so he won’t be able to cover receivers in the slot most of the time. He also will have trouble with small, shifty running backs. Zimmerman is extremely smart and rarely takes a misstep, but when he does he can get burnt bad because he doesn’t have the speed to make up the ground he lost.
NFL Comparison
Harrison Smith: I had some trouble coming up with a NFL player to compare Zimmerman too, but his play style reminds me of a less athletic Harrison Smith. They are both extremely smart players who use their intelligence to take great angles to the ball in the run game and the pass game. However, Harrison is a much better athlete than Zimmerman and that is something that he will have to work really hard to overcome.
Draft Outlook
Zimmerman is going to be a day three pick and likely in the fifth or sixth-round. He will be brought in by a team who needs depth on special teams and at the safety position. His lack of above average athleticism is really going to hold him back in the eyes of teams. He can be a good special team’s player for years and provide good depth, but that isn’t worth more than about a fifth-rounder.
Best Fit
Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are a team who likes their safeties to have good size and don’t always worry about the top speed at the strong safety position. They also like their safeties to be able to contribute on special teams, which is somewhere that Zimmerman can make an impact. Zimmerman could come in right away, play special teams and prove depth in the Bengals secondary.