STRENGTHS - Zlatnick is a highly competitive interior lineman that plays to the whistle and consistently looks to finish blocks. He demonstrates good strength at the POA when he locks out inside, and does a good job of using his man's momentum against him in order to sustain blocks in space. Because he is so aggressive with his hands, defenders struggle getting into his frame and are unable to move him off the LOS with bull rushes.
WEAKNESSES - Zlatnick is a limited athlete that displays poor lower body flexibility and bends at the waist. This causes him to at times reach for blocks and struggle to maintain his balance. While he is quick to get out in space, he struggles to consistently execute 2nd level blocks because of his inability to change directions efficiently. He struggles with 3-technique defenders that beat him with speed off the ball, as he does not possess the lateral agility needed to consistently take away gaps. He also struggles to execute seal blocks, as his lack of foot quickness prevents him from being able to get his feet around and maintain positioning.
SUMMARY - Duane Zlatnick was a productive interior lineman for Kansas in large part due to his strength and competitiveness, but his athletic limitations will likely prevent him from developing into a starter at the next level. He does not play with proper knee bend and leverage, which hurts his ability to sustain blocks in space and adjust to moving targets. Despite his tendency to bend at the waist and struggle with balance, he was still a reliable blocker for Kansas because of his aggressive hands and willingness to stay after blocks through the whistle. However, he will struggle to maintain blocks at the next level against athletically superior players, and will need to improve his lower body flexibility before seeing the field in the NFL. Zlatnick is the type of player you root for to succeed because of his relentlessness, and is worth a late day three selection for a team looking to add depth to its interior line.