Will The Kansas City Chiefs Draft A Cornerback In The First Round?
Oct 11, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; LSU Tigers cornerback Jalen Collins (32) defends Florida Gators wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (11) during the first half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jalen Collins – LSU – 6’1″ 203 lbs
4.48 forty, DNP bench press, 36″ vertical, 4.27 20 yard shuttle
If you want a guy that physically looks the part of today’s shut down CB, Jalen Collins is your man. You wouldn’t think that one inch in height and 10 pounds of weight would look all that different on the field, but the difference is clear the moment you lay eyes on him in game film. Collins also has the longest arms of these five prospects (almost a full inch over the others). The problem is that Collins only has 10 career starts under his belt so you can imagine that he is still a little bit of a work in progress.
What Others Are Saying:
"Collins has good size and is a physical defender. His ability to play off-man coverage and flip his hips is questioned by some NFL teams. With his size, length and speed, Collins looks likely to be a first-round pick."
"Immensely talented cornerback who brings the entire triangle (height, weight, speed) with him. Still learning technique and how to sink his feet with his eyes, but the instincts and athleticism to make plays on the ball both short and deep are what set him apart."
What I Saw On Tape:
I watched four games of Collins: Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and Alabama. I love Collins’ size, playing speed (he runs down Melvin Gordon from behind vs Wisconsin), and physicality, but his coverage skills still need work. When compared to the other four CBs that I watched, Collins gives his opponent the most space to operate. I don’t mean that he intentionally plays off the WRs more, but that he lacks the technique to “stick to” the WR as tight as the other CBs do. The TD that Collins allowed to Amari Cooper vs Alabama is a perfect example. Collins gave Cooper a little too much room, Cooper made a great move inside and left Collins in the dust.
Here’s the deal on Collins for me. If the KC coaching staff thinks they can fix his technique issues I think Collins may be the best pick for KC. Of all the CBs on this list Collins is the one that has the physical profile to hang with the Calvin Johnsons and AJ Greens of the NFL. If KC is planning on letting Sean Smith walk next offseason and want to draft a guy that can take over covering the bigger WRs in the league, Collins would be a perfect pick. That is, IF (and it’s a big if) they believe that his technique issues are fixable. Given the fact that he’s only had 10 career starts I think that there is a good chance that he has room to grow.
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