In Bill I Trust: Why Jamie Collins is a Great Pick
The draft board is panning out perfectly for the New England Patriots to get someone like Jamar Taylor (CB Boise State) or Tyrann Mathieu (CB LSU) because linebackers, running backs, tight ends are getting taken rapidly as pick #52 approached. I am sitting on the bus on the way to the NESCAC track meet anxiously awaiting the Patriots first draft pick and furiously refreshing my twitter feed and the ESPN Draftcast site. The first retweet rolls in:
DJ Bean posted the news faster and had information on the newest Patriots addition, Jamie Collins, high school quarterback who was recruited as a safety, but finally turned outside linebacker at Southern Mississippi.
My initial reaction (and my brother's as well) was, "WHO?!"
I texted my good friend and currently the likely starting quarterback next year at Southern Miss, Kyle Sloter, for some first hand information on Jamie Collins.
Needless to say, high praise from his old teammate.
Mike Rodak tweeted that he was "gunner" on special teams for Southern Miss, which is typically reserved for DBs or WRs. It is safe to say that Collins is an athlete.
Versatile. The only negative tweet came from Greg Bedard:
Ellis Johnson is the coach that Bedard is referring to, and he was fired after one year at the helm down in Hattiesburg. It is never easy to change coaches three years into your college career, and obviously it was not the switch Southern Miss administrators were looking for, so I will give Collins a pass on that.
So, why is Jamie Collins a great pick?
The New England Patriots are great in terms of run defense (ranked ninth in the NFL); however, they are not as great in stopping the air attack (ranked 29th in the NFL). This is not a direct reflection of the linebacking corps coverage abilities, but it does have a connection. Brandon Spikes is widely known for his blown coverages, just ask Ray Rice, but he is also widely known for his ability to clog running holes, just ask Ray Rice. He is never on the field on 3rd down, and Dont'a Hightower was not so successful when defending the pass either. Thus, this ex-safety who has ridiculous speed and athleticism can help remedy the Patriots pass defense woes. Even if it is just in sub packages to start, I am expecting Collins to make an immediate difference on the defensive front.
He has the quickness to get to the quarterback, he has the length to grab elusive running backs behind the line, and the short field quickness to cover a slot receiver coming across the middle. I like this pick.
What are the worries with Jamie Collins?
He scored a 17 on the Wonderlict test (out of 50), and he does not always pursue plays well, according to NFL.com. His strength does not quite match up to ends in the NFL, but the Patriots could easily make him a outside linebacker/down safety hybrid. He gets knocked for not pursuing plays well, but I contribute at least some of that to the coaching and the fact that his team went 0-12. Mike Mayock had Collins as his #3 OLB in this draft.
UPDATE:
Jamie Collins has an advocate in Sloter. Look for some draft analysis on Sloter in a few years.
Overall, I give him anA A+.
Quick info on Jamie Collins: Stands at 6034, 250 pounds. Former defensive back turned defensive end/outside linebacker. #Patriots
— DJ Bean (@DJ_Bean) April 26, 2013
DJ Bean posted the news faster and had information on the newest Patriots addition, Jamie Collins, high school quarterback who was recruited as a safety, but finally turned outside linebacker at Southern Mississippi.
My initial reaction (and my brother's as well) was, "WHO?!"
I texted my good friend and currently the likely starting quarterback next year at Southern Miss, Kyle Sloter, for some first hand information on Jamie Collins.
"Jamie is a stud. He is the best athlete I've ever seen with my own eyes. If he had gone to Auburn like he planned to originally, he'd be a first round pick. The dude dunks like LeBron when I played basketball with him. He's a freak. He'll be a long time pro. He'll definitely start." Sloter responded to me in a text after I asked if the Patriots made a good decision. He went on, "I guarantee he ends up being your best draft pick. For his size, he may be the best athlete in the draft. He jumped 41.5 inches [in the vertical jump] at the combine and set the all time record for the broad jump."
Needless to say, high praise from his old teammate.
Mike Rodak tweeted that he was "gunner" on special teams for Southern Miss, which is typically reserved for DBs or WRs. It is safe to say that Collins is an athlete.
In 2012, Collins has 92 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 5 pass breakups and 4 forced fumbles. He's played in 2 and 3-point stances.
— Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) April 26, 2013
Versatile. The only negative tweet came from Greg Bedard:
Hearing from a few scouts … a lot of questions about Collins dogging it last year. Some think it was only because of bad coaching staff
— Greg A. Bedard (@GregABedard) April 27, 2013
Ellis Johnson is the coach that Bedard is referring to, and he was fired after one year at the helm down in Hattiesburg. It is never easy to change coaches three years into your college career, and obviously it was not the switch Southern Miss administrators were looking for, so I will give Collins a pass on that.
So, why is Jamie Collins a great pick?
The New England Patriots are great in terms of run defense (ranked ninth in the NFL); however, they are not as great in stopping the air attack (ranked 29th in the NFL). This is not a direct reflection of the linebacking corps coverage abilities, but it does have a connection. Brandon Spikes is widely known for his blown coverages, just ask Ray Rice, but he is also widely known for his ability to clog running holes, just ask Ray Rice. He is never on the field on 3rd down, and Dont'a Hightower was not so successful when defending the pass either. Thus, this ex-safety who has ridiculous speed and athleticism can help remedy the Patriots pass defense woes. Even if it is just in sub packages to start, I am expecting Collins to make an immediate difference on the defensive front.
He has the quickness to get to the quarterback, he has the length to grab elusive running backs behind the line, and the short field quickness to cover a slot receiver coming across the middle. I like this pick.
What are the worries with Jamie Collins?
He scored a 17 on the Wonderlict test (out of 50), and he does not always pursue plays well, according to NFL.com. His strength does not quite match up to ends in the NFL, but the Patriots could easily make him a outside linebacker/down safety hybrid. He gets knocked for not pursuing plays well, but I contribute at least some of that to the coaching and the fact that his team went 0-12. Mike Mayock had Collins as his #3 OLB in this draft.
UPDATE:
Commenting on the criticisms on his NFL teammate, Kyle Sloter conceded that it could be true at times, but he went on to dispel the criticism overall due to its simplicity. "What a lot of people don't realize is that the most defensive plays he say out in a game was three plays. We didn't even have a second string behind him and we were four deep at the other end because he didn't need one and never came out. His motor is actually unbelievable considering most ends play every other series."
Jamie Collins has an advocate in Sloter. Look for some draft analysis on Sloter in a few years.
Overall, I give him an
