Collins: Sequel will be better than the original

WHILE working his moonlighting job last season, Brandon Marshall, an NFL receiver by trade, was sitting in a production meeting for the “Inside the NFL’’ TV show he used to co-host, watching tape of a player he had no knowledge about. “The first thing that stood out was: ‘Who is this guy?’” Marshall said Saturday after his second training camp practice as a Giant. “The way he led stood out to me. I really hadn’t seen anyone lead that way since [former Pro Bowl safety] Brian Dawkins. For him to be so young [23], I thought it was even more impressive. He’s a stud. You don’t get better than that at that position.’’ The player Marshall was watching was Giants safety Landon Collins, who was in his second NFL season last year. “Being honest,’’ Marshall said, “I’d never heard of him before last year.’’ Now everyone in the NFL has heard of Collins. That is what happens when you emerge as one of the defensive stars in the league with five interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, four sacks, 125 tackles and a Pro Bowl invite. Collins was the first player to record at least 100 tackles, five INTs, four sacks and score a defensive touchdown in a single season since Hall of Famer Rodney Harrison in 2000, according to Pro Football Reference.

In the span of his rookie year in 2015, when he was thrust right into the starting lineup and looked unsure of himself at times, finishing with one INT and one forced fumble, Collins became a game-changing defensive player in 2016 with an uncanny knack of always being around the football and making impact plays.

For Collins, the question becomes this: What do you have in store for an encore?

The challenge for players coming off a breakout year and trying to back it up the next season can be daunting. Often, players chase the numbers they produced the previous season and become frustrated when they fail to duplicate the feat.

Managing expectations after such a great year in 2016 will be a great challenge for Collins.

Three years into defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s system, can Collins be even better than he was last season?

“Oh, I’m going to be way better,’’ Collins told The Post after practice Saturday. “My rookie year, I think guys wanted me to come in be [Chiefs star cornerback] Marcus Peters or the next Ed Reed [the former Ravens star safety]. It takes time to be those guys. Those guys didn’t do it their first year and build their names.

“For me to blow up the following year is a blessing, but it took time for me to learn the defense, know where I’m supposed to be, know every key and assignment of every guy on the defense.’’ And now? “My expectations are tremendously different from what everyone else’s are,’’ Collins said. “I’m looking to make more big plays in the passing game, with more pass disruptions, getting more sacks, making gamechanging plays, forced fumbles and giving the ball back to the offense. I’ll already know where I have to be at before the offense knows where I’m supposed to be at.

“I’m excited just seeing what this year brings us.’’

Giants coach Ben McAdoo said he believes “the sky’s the limit’’ for Collins.

“We know he’s a talented player, he’s a hungry player [and] he loves the game,’’ McAdoo said. “You can see that not only with the way he plays on Sundays, but with the way he practices. You have to go out and earn it. You can’t be too big to do the little things.’’

Listening to those around Collins, it’s clear he isn’t too big to do the little things. In fact, he has built himself into the player he is by focusing on the little things.

Said linebacker Mark Herzlich: “You clear your slate. He has the confidence that he can make all the plays. I think he has the ability to do everything he did last year and more.’’

Now that would be one hell of a season.