Anthony

Zettel

Zettel played for the Saints in 2020 but appeared in just one game for them, logging eight defensive snaps. He previously played for the 49ers during their Super Bowl run and even logged 14 snaps in the big game. He hasn’t recorded a sack since 2017 and is not a lock to make San Francisco’s final roster.

Zettel, 27, will be making his seventh stop since 2016. He started last season with the Bengals before latching on with the Niners just before Christmas. Zettel even played 14 defensive snaps in the Super Bowl. He hasn’t recorded a sack since notching 6.5 in 2017 with Detroit.

The team waived DL Jeremiah Valoaga in a corresponding roster move. Zettel racked up 6.5 sacks with the Lions in 2017, but hasn’t recorded even a QB hit in 19 games with the Browns and Bengals since.

Zettel played a total of 37 snaps in Week 7 and was otherwise inactive during his stint with the Bengals. The former sixth-round pick been on three teams since entering the league in 2016.

Zettel is a decent athlete who is a jack of all trades but master of none on the interior. He’ll fight for a rotational role in Motown.

It’s a surprise after Zettel had 6.5 sacks in a starting role last year, but he wasn’t a fit in a Detroit scheme that’s expected to have more 3-4 fronts. 26-year-old Zettel should resurface on waivers.

It took Zettel only 24 hours to resurface after being let go by the Lions on Wednesday. Zettel logged 6.5 sacks over 752 defensive snaps last season while also earning PFF’s No. 11 run-stopping grade among 4-3 defensive ends. He’ll continue to play defensive end in Gregg Williams’ 4-3 scheme.

Zettel (6'4/277) made 28 starts on the Nittany Lions’ defensive line, racking up 38 career tackles for loss and 20 sacks. He was a third-team All-Big Ten pick as a senior. Zettel turned in a solid Combine workout, running 4.81 with a 30 1/2-inch vertical and 28 bench-press reps. Zettel won with extreme effort in college, but he has short arms (31 1/8") and lacks one outstanding trait. He’ll probably max out as a rotational lineman in the NFL.