Landon Collins: Alabama Safety 2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Alabama safety Landon Collins has been turning heads since high-school. As he approaches the end of his Junior season, rumors about him being the best defensive 2015 NFL Draft prospect are running wild. While Collins has some flaws in his game that need to be ironed out, there’s no doubt that he’s a fun prospect to watch. When you turn on the tape, you really never know what you’re going to get.

Here’s a rundown of Collins’ game, including what NFL teams are going to want to see improved as he finishes the season.

STRENGTHS

Collins is simply a football player. He doesn’t play a game with too much detail or design, he just goes out and plays the game of football like a safety should. This will be a huge note on official scouting reports.

His ability to be a thumper in the run-game will draw some attention, and could ultimately be the deciding factor for a team once the time to pick comes. He’s elite in the running game and can provide extreme help as an in-the-box safety.

Collins plays quick, something that’s just an added bonus here. He can keep up with elite speed (young Brandin Cooks in New Orleans comes to mind) at the next level. Athleticism at it’s finest…

I like the way Collins tackled in his game against Florida this season. He went to wrap up every time, making sure he got the tackle no matter where on the field the play was. If he keeps this up, it’ll rocket him up to top-10 status without question.

WEAKNESSES

Collins could be a top-5 pick if it weren’t for his issue of pass coverage. I love the way he plays, but he has shown too many flashes of inexperience covering receivers deep. I would say this isn’t an issue due to his SS role he’ll play in the NFL, but the same issue is happening to Matt Elam in Baltimore right now. (These two are very similar, by the way.)

If Collins is going to have any red flags on his report heading into the spring, it’ll be his major question mark covering receivers.