Collins shows potential at inside linebacker
First in a Packers Prospects series looking at players Green Bay could select in the April 29-May 1 NFL draft.
GREEN BAY – In a copycat league, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers set a template en route to their Super Bowl LV title.
Gone is the inside linebacker who merely stops the run and drops into coverage. Yes, that size-speed combination still is necessary at the position, but something more is required to be an all-around playmaker.
In Devin White, the second-team All-Pro who dominated in the Bucs' playoff run from NFC fifth seed to NFL champions, defensive coordinator
Todd Bowles unleashed pass-rushing havoc from the second level. White had nine sacks in the regular season, one against the Green Bay Packers in a Week 5 meeting.
Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins is not the same prospect White was when he entered the NFL draft from LSU and was drafted fifth overall in 2019. That might be good news for the Packers, who select 29th overall in the first round this month. Because the Packers could use a linebacker with the versatile playmaking potential Collins showed last season while winning the Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Awards as the nation's top defensive player.
Collins, a first-team All-American
last season, has the size (6-47⁄8, 259 pounds) and speed (4.67-second 40) to line up at either linebacker spot, whether that be the edge or off the ball. His four sacks as a junior last season were an uptick from 3.5 combined in his first two years with the Golden Hurricane.
He might be just scratching his potential as a pass rusher. Collins' 90.6 rush grade last season was a 31.5-point increase from 2019 and ranked fourth among college linebackers last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He had 16 pressures in 51 pass-rush snaps in 2020.
For his size, Collins also impressed in coverage. He had four interceptions last season, returning one 27 yards against Tulane. His 93 coverage grade led all college linebackers, according to PFF.
The Bucs aren't the only NFL defense that has benefited from improved play at linebacker, a position that was devalued through the past decade. The New Orleans Saints (Demario Davis), San Francisco 49ers (Fred Werner) and Indianapolis Colts (Darius Leonard) built top-10 defenses with an All-Pro inside linebacker.
Collins' size and speed don't match White athletically. At 6-foot, 237 pounds with a 4.42 40, White is smaller and faster. Collins' best positional comparison might be something similar to what the Packers employed when they moved Clay Matthews to inside linebacker for a couple seasons starting in 2014. Matthews gave the Packers a dual linebacker capable of rushing from the edge or dropping off the line of scrimmage. It was his ability to be a playmaker from both spots that was especially impactful for the Packers' defense, something Collins has the potential to also provide.
Age next season: 22.
Scouting measurables: 6-4 7/8, 259 pounds, 4.67-second 40, 19 bench press reps, 35-inch vertical jump, 122-inch broad jump.
Stats: 54 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 4 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 2 defensive touchdowns.
Pro Football Focus analysis: Collins was PFF's highest-graded off-ball linebacker by a full three grading points, with his 91.1 overall grade being the only mark to eclipse 90.0 at the position in the country. He's a dynamic athlete who projects perfectly for the modern game. His 93.7 coverage grade was the best in the country by a decent margin, as well. Collins managed to generate 16 pressures on just 51 pass-rush snaps, using his quickness and burst to get into the backfield in a hurry.
Draftniks say: “He wasn't the sack artist, but he was a rangy guy. Those kind of linebackers, Jon Gruden always said, ‘hey, you put them on the inside.' Taller linebackers with length are very difficult for a quarterback to deal with. You don't find many of those. The fact that he brings a skill set that you don't necessarily always see in a guy who can play inside or outside, that makes Zaven Collins an attractive guy.” –
Quotable: “Just my versatility. With my size, strength and speed, I can do a lot of things. I can rush on third down, drop back in coverage, spy the QB, be inside on first and second down, do basically about anything. I attribute a lot of that to the defense we ran in college, and it's something that's helped me out quite a bit going into this process.” –