Quote:Collins played a lot of single high safety his last year at Ala like Earl Thomas plays and excelled

Quote:WEAKNESSES  Average hands. Dropped easy interceptions against Texas A&M and Arkansas. Looked much quicker in 2013 than he did in 2014. Can be beaten in a foot race. Average recovery speed. Sometimes shows too much confidence in recovery speed. Gets caught peeking into backfield and can be beaten over the top after a late jump. Inconsistent route recognition. Beaten for game-tying and game-winning touchdowns by Ole Miss. Shows some hip stiffness when asked to open up and run. Might be carrying too much bulk. DRAFT PROJECTION  

 

Round 1 NFL COMPARISON  Johnathan Cyprien BOTTOM LINE

 

Collins is a tempo-setter who can energize a defense with his downhill, aggressive style. He is at his best when he can attack rather than sit back in coverage and process. Collins' tackling, pursuit angles and speed to the sideline can help a defense shut down rushing attacks, but his inconsistencies in coverage will be tested by NFL offenses.

 

Quote:<p style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>WEAKNESSES:</b> Trusts his eyes and can be deceived with good play-action or by savvy quarterbacks who will look one way and fire the other. Much more effective coming downhill in run support or protecting the middle on crossing routes than with his back turned to the quarterback. Possesses good but not elite speed and doesn't show the burst to recover when beaten initially. Doesn't possess great hands for the interception, dropping multiple potential interceptions over his career. Struggles of past Saban-coached defensive backs in the NFL is reason for concern.

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<p style="color:rgb(17,17,17);font-family:'proxima-nova', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Compares To: T.J. Ward, Broncos - If allowed to attack, Collins' aggression, physicality and knack for creating big plays could lead to him becoming a star in the NFL. He isn't a top-notch cover safety, however, and therefore should be complemented with other speedier options in the secondary.