"Zaven Collins was a quarterback in high school that happened to play safety and linebacker as well. The four year starter on both offense and defense in high school should explain his athleticism in 2020.
Did you know that Collins rushed for 4,084 yards and scored 54 rushing touchdowns but also threw for 3,056 yards and had 32 dimes for touchdowns in his high school career?
Many are just finding out about the speedy linebacker after a huge play last week on National Television. Well entering this season, Collins played in 24 career games and started 22 of them at linebacker.
Collins has racked up 182 tackles and 17.5 for loss entering his final season. The 6’4, 260 pound linebacker has been a machine in 2020.
This year Collins has 48 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 1 fumble forced, 4 interceptions, a safety and a touchdown.
Zaven Collins is flying up draft boards. He maybe the biggest draft riser this year. He is working his way into the top 60 players of the NFL Draft, and many are starting to put him over Dylan Moses from Alabama."
He really would improve our linbacking core. He’s a three down lb with perfect size.
Zaven and Jamie would be great together in a nickle package. I like the idea of two lbs that can cover or blitz to help disguise the defense.
If we could trade down for an extra 2nd and pick him that would be great. We could grab a wr in the second round. I dont want to draft a wr at 7 unless they are truly elite.
I’m perfectly happy moving down to 15 if we can get NE’s 2nd and a comp 4th.
Collins is one of the main reasons why. I would hope and think one elite guy will slide: Waddle, Pitts, maybe Slater bc of his length, etc. but if not I’m fine with Collins as a fall back option there. I don’t think he will be perceived as a reach there if he tests like I think he will.
I like Collins, but if we’re trading down for a linebacker, give me JOK. Different types of players for sure, but if we’re really gonna be as attack-minded as it seems, no one attacks like JOK.
I think that’s why he’s not talked about much here, he’s in that zone between our 1st and 2nd rounder and if we were to trade our pick next year to move up to get him, which pick would you add to our 2nd that would be attractive enough for a team to move-down?
Good player, I just don’t think we can make a move on him.
Trading back would be great but just doesn’t seem to happen much…maybe just for us though under Quinn, he’d get laser-locked on a player and I don’t think he’d budge off them.
I see him as like a combo of Polamalu and London Fletcher. Much more of a playmaker than Fletcher (like Polamalu), but with Fletcher’s ability to sift through traffic at that size. His run fits are really excellent, which is why I think he’s more linebacker than safety. Though he is an excellent blitzer as well, which goes some way in explaining the Adams comp.
And here’s the thing, if we are truly running an aggressive 3-4, one of those ILBs basically has to be a hybrid safety. You need at least 5 coverage guys on the field at a time (which is why base defense has become the nickel). JOK eliminates TEs and RBs in the passing game, and big slot receivers too.
If, as it seems likely to me, one of the top 4 QBs remain at #7, a trade down could easily be in the cards with the Panthers and Steelers right behind us. We’ll see.
Oh for sure, though I do believe he’s gonna be pretty high on NFL boards. Niners at 12, Pats at 15, maybe the WTFers at 19, those would be spots we might get him. And if it doesn’t work out Collins is a good consolation prize, at least to me (I know others prefer him).
JOK would be another nice fit IMO as he also brings really nice intangibles. I think we’re gonna have our pick at whatever LB we want. Which is great because they all kinda work,skill set wise, to what we’re wanting/needing.