Miami Dolphins: Five first-round targets in the 2021 NFL Draft
By Ian Higgins
23
Zaven Collins LB
2020 Starters: Elandon Roberts (FA), Jerome Baker
With the surprise release of outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy and the potential loss of inside linebacker Elandon Roberts to free agency, Brian Flores and the Miami Dolphins need to ensure they retain the depth which helped them be so successful this past season in the 2021 NFL Draft.
With their top selection in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins could take their pick of top two prospects Micah Parsons and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, two transcendent athletic talents with near-infinite utility and the ability to shutdown mismatch-monsters.
At the back end of the first round though is inside linebacker Zaven Collins, a small-school prospect who broke through the glass ceiling of program prestige on his way to winning the Nagurski and Bednarik awards. With varied production including four sacks, four interceptions, and 54 total tackles, Collins is a classic inside linebacker with modern utility.
Capable of effectively dropping into coverage as well as rushing the passer, Collins suits a modern game that requires inside linebackers to be much more than the physical run-stopping thumpers of the early 2000s. At 6-foot-4, 260-pounds, Collins still measures in as one of the heftiest linebackers of the 2021 NFL Draft with a 15-pound advantage over Penn State product Micah Parsons.