With the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins.
One of the most intriguing players in this year's draft, Collins is again proving that if you can play, the pro scouts will find you, no matter the conference.
The outsized linebacker was a two-way star in high school, winning a state title as a dual-threat quarterback in Oklahoma. Somehow, Tulsa was the only FBS school to offer him a scholarship -- and he repaid their faith in spades.
While we'll never know about his abandoned career as a QB, Collins did plenty to impress upon converting to defense full-time in the college ranks, particularly in pass coverage -- where perhaps his past experience as a signal-caller came in handy.
Here's what you need to know about Collins.
Measurables: 6'4"/260
School: Tulsa
2020 stats: 8 games, 54 tackles (36 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 4 interceptions, 2 interceptions returned for touchdowns, 2 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovered
Accolades: 2020 Unanimous All-American; 2020 First-Team All-AAC; 2020 AAC Defensive Player of the Year; 2020 Bronco Nagurski Award winner; 2020 Bednarik Award winner; 2019 Second-Team All-AAC
Strengths:
- Incredible athleticism for his massive frame
- Highly decorated three-year starter
- Track record of strong production
- Versatile -- can play the run, drop into coverage, and rush the passer
- Good at using length to purse, chase down and harass ball-carriers
- Took care of business against relatively weaker competition
Weaknesses:
- More finesse in his game than you'd expect -- can he play with a mean streak?
- Better straight-line speed than short-burst quickness
- Sometimes too reliant on length and size to compensate when out of position
- Athletic advantages will be less pronounced in the NFL
- Not an elite pass-rusher
Expert scout analysis:
- "Throwback linebacker with mass and shocking versatility" -- Eric Edholm, Yahoo Sports
- "Could use more aggression in his play demeanor, but his combination of talent and traits should make him a productive pro starter" -- Lance Zierlein, NFL.com
- "Just let him be a game-wrecker and get out of his way" -- Doug Farrar, USA Today Sports
Tape:
Player comparison: Jamie Collins, per Farrar
Zaven Collins would do well to carve out a career like that of Jamie Collins (no relation). The latter broke into the league as a relatively unheralded defensive star out of a mid-major, but he established himself as a versatile talent with a lot to offer a defense.
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