NFL Draft: Raiders Five Best Options With Pick #35

Landon Collins

Dec 6, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Landon Collins (26) during the 2014 SEC Championship Game against the Missouri Tigers at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports.

When the college football season was about to get started, if you would have told me that Landon Collins was gonna fall out of the first round, I would thought you were crazy.

Collins is physical safety who plays aggressive, and he’s a great run defender. He’s a sound wrap-up tackler who takes smart angles in pursuit of the ball carrier. He is at his best when he is in the box or at the line of scrimmage, making plays in the middle of the field or around the line.

The reason why he fell out of the first round is because of his concerns in coverage. He’s very average in this area, and at a premium position, teams won’t take a chance too early on a player that is lacking in such an important trait.

Collins is a good athlete who timed well in the 40-yard dash, but he struggles when covering in single-high. His recovery speed is subpar and his awareness in coverage simply isn’t very good.

He will very likely be an outstanding special teams player an quality safety, but it’s hard seeing him being a top safety in the NFL unless his coverage skills improve greatly. Some people think he might actually be best in some sort of linebacker role.

Here are a couple clips of Landon.

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