IDP 20/20: Zach Cunningham

Alexander Onushco Posted On February 16, 2017

Welcome to the IDP 20/20 series. Alongside our offensive Dynasty Scouts coverage, we will also be profiling and providing 20 facts you must know about 15 of the top incoming IDP rookies in the class.

1.) Name – Zach Cunningham

2.) College – Vanderbilt

3.) Height/Weight – 6’4”, 230 lbs.

4.) Birth Date – December 12, 1994 (22)

5.) Class – Redshirt Junior

6.) College Stats

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2014 – 67 tackles (37 solo), 6.5 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 2 pass break-ups

2015 – 103 tackles (69 solo), 16.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 3 pass break-ups

2016 – 125 tackles (71 solo), 16.5 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles, 3 pass break-ups

7.) NFL Draft Round Projection – Late round one/Early round two

8.) Current NFL comp – Zach profiles favorably to a young Derrick Johnson, who was selected 15th overall in the 2005 draft and has proven to be a versatile player with the ability to play both on the outside in a 4-3 alignment and inside in a 3-4.

9.) Best possible destination – New York Giants

For whatever reason, the Giants seem allergic to selected linebackers high in the draft, but they could badly use a stabilizing force in the middle or weak side of their defense. Cunningham should be available by the time the Giants are on the clock with the 23rd overall pick, and if selected would be able to rack up all the tackles any IDP owner could possibly want. We are talking immediate LB1 numbers.

10.) Worst possible destination – New York Jets

There aren’t too many teams out there that wouldn’t benefit from having a three-down player like Cunningham, but I think his value would be diminished if drafted by the New York Jets with the 39th overall pick. The Jets do have a need at linebacker given the age of David Harris, but there may not be enough tackles to go around with the team featuring three stout linemen up front (Muhammad Wilkerson, Sheldon Richardson, Leonard Williams) and another highly- drafted linebacker (Darron Lee).

11.) Best current skill – Cunningham excels at attacking blockers head on and quickly disengaging from them in order to make the tackle. That is a rather rare trait in this modern era of the linebacker position, and it should allow him to thrive regardless of the ability of the defensive line in front of him to take blockers off of him on the way to the ball carrier.

12.) Skill that needs to be improved – While explosive and able to quickly hone in on the ball carrier, Cunningham does have the tendency to play with a high pad level. This forces him to wrestle ball carriers to the ground, rather than drive through them for the stop. Playing like that in the NFL will lead to plenty of missed tackles.

13.) Projected dynasty value – Cunningham should prove to be a valuable IDP asset from the get-go, regardless of which team drafts him. At worst, he should be viewed as a low-end LB2 with the upside to post fringe LB1 numbers in his rookie year. Long-term, he has the makings of a first or second-tier LB1.

14.) Special teams contributor – He should prove valuable on special teams in the NFL as well during his rookie season. His athleticism and awareness are on full display in this video where he blocks a field goal attempt against Auburn.

15.) Stands up against toughest competition – Not one to shrink away from a challenge, Cunningham averaged a healthy 11.1 tackles against the eight SEC opponents he faced in 2016. This included an eye-opening performance against Georgia, when he posted 19 tackles.

16.) Mr. Clutch – In that huge game against Georgia, Cunningham came up with a big stop on 4th-and-1 in the closing minutes of action. He is someone you want on the field when the game is on the line.

17.) Tackling machine – In addition to his 295 tackles in college, Cunningham also posted 448 tackles in high school, including 194 as a senior. The kid was meant to bring ball carriers to the ground.

18.) Playmaker – While his tackle numbers are gaudy, Cunningham also has a penchant for big plays, as evidenced by his 16.5 tackles for a loss in back-to-back seasons (third best in the SEC this year) and four forced fumbles in 2015 (best in the SEC and second-best nationally).

19.) Cerebral player– Cunningham has the brains to go with the brawn. Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason compared him to Richard Sherman as a player who can “take it from the class to the grass”.

20.) Making Vanderbilt proud – Cunningham has the chance to be just the third first-round draft pick to come from Vanderbilt. The other two are quarterback Jay Cutler (Denver Broncos) and offensive tackle Chris Williams (Chicago Bears). He also is the first unanimous All-American by ESPN in the school’s history.

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