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Landon Collins
Position: Strong Safety
Age: 21
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 228
Arm Length: 31.5 in.
Hand Width: 9.375 in.
Wingspan: 78 in.
40-Yard Dash: 4.53s
20-Yard Split: 2.64s
10-Yard Split: 1.57s
Short Shuttle: 4.33s
Three Cone: 7.38s
Bench Press: 24
Vertical Jump: 35 in.
Broad Jump: 10.00 ft.
SPARQ*: 116.7
Z-Score*: -0.2
*Note: These values were calculated by Zach Whitman of Fieldgulls.com and 3sigmaathlete.com. A higher SPARQ score means that player is more athletic. A positive Z-score means that the athlete has above average athleticism for an NFL player at his position, and a negative means that he is below average. If you want a more in depth explanation, here is my previous article.
2015 Statistics
Tackles: 103
TFL: 4.5
Passes Deflected: 7
Interceptions: 3
Forced Fumbles: 1
Strengths
Landon Collins is one of the most technically sound and reliable tacklers I have ever seen at the safety position. He can be a hard hitter, but typically goes for the safe tackles. Collins has a knack for instantly reading a play and attacking ball carriers before they can even begin moving forward. Collins is much faster than his indicates he should be, and often looks like a missile flying in from off the T.V. screen to make tackles. He has good awareness in zone coverage, and is an adequate coverage safety. Collins has a personality that seems to elevate the play of team around him, and he does a great job at exciting the fans.
Weaknesses
After running a 4.38 forty yard dash his freshman year, Collins bulked up and lost some of his speed. His hips are fairly stiff, and he often has trouble staying with receivers in man coverage. His ball skills are average at best, and he tends to put himself in the position to make interceptions but just flat out drops them.
Verdict
Landon Collins is one of my personal favorite players to ever come through Alabama, and he is an exciting player to watch. He almost never misses a tackle, and is a terrifying presence in the back field. He has the versatility to line up at deep safety, box safety, slot corner, and linebacker in dime packages, and is also a terror on special teams. Collins will likely be picked in the top 20 picks of the draft, and will no doubt be the first safety off the board.
