2026 NFL Draft Profile: Zach Durfee
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 06: Zach Durfee #5 of the Washington Huskies sacks Grant Harper #10 of the UC Davis Aggies during the second halfat Husky Stadium on September 06, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images Washington’s defensive front has undergone a steady evolution over the past few seasons, and few players better represent that transition than edge rusher Zach Durfee. A late-blooming, somewhat unconventional prospect, Durfee enters the 2026 NFL Draft as one of the more intriguing upside plays among Day 2/Day 3 defensive front-seven candidates.
His path has been anything but linear, but the physical tools and flashes of disruption are enough to keep NFL teams interested. The Basics Height: 6’5” Weight: 256 lbs Position: EDGE Class: Senior Durfee has the kind of frame NFL teams covet on the edge. At 6’5” with a long build and solid bulk, he looks the part of a modern defensive end or stand-up outside linebacker in an odd front.
He was not invited to the NFL Draft Combine, so measurements come from his UW Pro Day. Recruitment Durfee’s recruiting profile did not suggest an obvious NFL prospect. Coming out of Dawson, Minnesota, he was not a highly touted national recruit and ultimately took a non-traditional route to Washington.
His development has been more about progression than projection. Rather than arriving as a finished product, Durfee has had to build his game over time, refining both his body and his technique at each stop along the way. He was a high school QB who converted to EDGE at NAIA Sioux Falls before transferring to UW under Kalen DeBoer.
That background shows up on film, both in the rawness of certain aspects of his play and in the steady improvement he has demonstrated. College Career Durfee’s Washington career has been defined as much by flashes as by frustration. Injuries repeatedly interrupted his ability to string together full seasons, limiting both his production and his consistency.
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