Jeff Risdon
Prospect: Jalen Collins, DB, LSU
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 193 lbs. (taken from broadcast feed during Wisconsin game)
Grade: 7.15 (Grading Scale)
Scouting Report
Strengths: Excellent size at a well-built 6’2” and 195-ish pounds. Tremendous straight-line speed, appears to run in the 4.40 range on the field. Very quick to top speed when squared to start. Has a chase gear that can catch almost anyone. Enthusiastic and physical in run support. Can hold positional leverage, shed the block and get the ball carrier to the ground. Good form tackler–head always up, drives his shoulder, doesn’t leave his feet prematurely, wraps and lifts. Very disciplined in contain principles. Plays press-man outside coverage well, good at squaring up and controlling the release point from the jam. Uses the boundary and his length to his advantage. Strong at point of attack and catch point, has real power for his size in his long arms and solid core.
Weaknesses: Stiff in the hips. Struggles at quick change of direction. Often takes an extra step to redirect his momentum, will cross over his feet at times instead of shuffling. Average closing burst to the ball in the air, actually it’s more of an inconsistent thing; at times when he is squared up he shows he can click and close but other times he’s sluggish out of his break. Struggles when playing trail technique across the field or in a more passive zone scheme. Fast receivers who run good routes can get behind him on double moves and savvy change of speeds. Didn’t make a lot of plays, just 3 INTs and 17 PDs in the three years he played regularly.
Overall: Jalen Collins has the physical tools teams look for in a cornerback. He’s long, he’s fast and he’s got good, balanced strength.
The first thing you notice when watching Collins is his square, low initial stance. He is quick to fire out and jam the receiver with a balanced, strong jolt. His field awareness stands out, unusually polished and disciplined for an outside corner. Collins can control the release at the top of the route nicely because he always plays to his help and uses his body well to shade the receiver. There is consistent strong fight for contested balls, and he’s good at the subtle forearms and hand pushes on longer routes to agitate the receiver.
Collins definitely has speed. He showed it here in chasing down Melvin Gordon in the 2014 game against Wisconsin:
He did catch him just after that Vine ends. That’s impressive acceleration and chase gear. This is not an isolated incident.
Unfortunately, this next Vine is also not an isolate incident. It highlights Collins’ biggest weakness, his short-area quickness and change of direction. Quicker receivers consistently take advantage of his leggy turn radius and relatively tight hips, as seen here in the Notre Dame game:
This isn’t terrible or a deal-killer; Collins is quick to recover once he gets his weight and hips back around. Yet it’s a problem for a corner when matched up against a savvy route runner or quicker, smaller wideout. It’s more of an issue when he’s in off-man coverage or zone, where he cannot use his strength to help him control the route.
Pair that with his very impressive tackling and enthusiasm for run support and it’s easy to see why some view Collins as a better safety prospect than corner. He is not afraid to attack runners, and Collins understands how to use his hands to get off blocks. Ideally he could be a hybrid player, lining up at corner against flexed out tight ends or bigger receivers in spreads but dropping back to a safety role against more traditional formations.
In the end, Collins belongs as a first-round talent. What he does well translates very nicely to the NFL, and he might be the most complete rookie cornerback in 2015. That doesn’t mean he will be the best long-term, but for a team picking in the 20s who needs a ready-made outside corner (hello Detroit and Green Bay!) Collins is a very good fit.
Scouting Notes
vs. Wisconsin
–lined up over slot, outside technique directs WR right to the LB as designed
–perfect squared stance, receiver cannot figure out technique or coverage pre-snap
–step for step on right sideline on 9-route, dives out and swats the ball down
–gives no room on outside release, uses the sideline expertly
–great open-field stick on Gordon as he bounces a run outside, drops him with shoulder to hip and powerful wrap
–sheds FB block, makes the form tackle on Love at LOS
–chases down Gordon in the open field after initially being stuck inside (see Vine below)
–another great tackle after dodging around a block, but gets leg-whipped by the FB and stays down. Does not return.
vs. Notre Dame
–nice crash from edge to make run stop inside
–closes on short route with disciplined speed, squares up and makes a great form tackle to stop any YAC
–misses tackle on Brown on crossing route, late to flip his shoulders and got no power on his reach
–perfect outside leverage on edge run, forces RB to hesitate and cut back into other tacklers (D. Hunter)
–leverages the perimeter block and forces Zaire out of bounds for minimal gain
–poor change of direction as receiver crosses him inside (see Vine below)
–very good click and close on out route, arrives just as the ball does and forces the incompletion. Receiver probably should have caught it though.
Other games reviewed: Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas A&M 12-14 (saw the ’12 game in person, includes an INT of Manziel), South Carolina ’12 (in person), Alabama, Iowa ’13 (bowl game)
