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RB Alex Collins, SEA (2 Viewers)

Borden

Footballguy
Was considered to be one of the top 5 RBs in the 2016 draft class.

Pros:

- Sharp cuts.

- Maintains forward momentum through cuts/jukes/small movements.

- Does a good job finding and knifing through holes.

Cons:

- Lacks knock down power.

- Struggles in pass pro. Gets caught flat footed too often.

- Doesn't get good leg drive in direct contact (short yardage) situations.

Initial Impressions:

He ran behind a very heavy OL in Arkansas but I haven't seen enough from him to say how he would look in a zone/cut and go system. I think his running style would serve him well as a kick off returner. I say this because he likely isn't going to get a ton of work until he shores up his pass pro. I think the Titans taking him in the 3rd round makes sense. They get to use their first two picks on other positions and then take a RB that they desperately need. They can still have the others for this season until Collins gets his blocking down and for this season they upgrade their KR. McCluster can stick with the PR duties. If not Dallas a few picks later would be a good spot.

 
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Love watching him run, his style reminds me of Jamaal Charles at Texas, quick cuts, always heading upfield (not as fast, but few are). Low to the ground.

Think he overtakes Henry as #2 RB off the board #wildguess

 
is all situation - what team picks him

I'm an Arkansas homer - Collins was very good with the Hogs, especially this season. How does that translate into NFL? Who knows ... he's got talent no doubt.

 
is all situation - what team picks him

I'm an Arkansas homer - Collins was very good with the Hogs, especially this season. How does that translate into NFL? Who knows ... he's got talent no doubt.
Why is it more important which team picks him, as opposed to any other running back?

 
I could see this kid going to Dallas in the second - if he ends up there he could be fantasy gold behind that line
Agree but not many RB's would not be.

Not saying this is the reason you mentioned Dallas but almost every year people try and paint some picture of Jerry unable to keep his hands off a good Hog and this is the time of year I'd like to mention he's owned the team for over 25 years and I think he's drafted one Razorback.

 
I could see this kid going to Dallas in the second - if he ends up there he could be fantasy gold behind that line
Agree but not many RB's would not be.

Not saying this is the reason you mentioned Dallas but almost every year people try and paint some picture of Jerry unable to keep his hands off a good Hog and this is the time of year I'd like to mention he's owned the team for over 25 years and I think he's drafted one Razorback.
Agreed - I do regularly see people associate Hogs with the Cowboys. FWIW that isn't why I brought it up. I think th Cowboys have a genuine need for a back and this kid looks like he has the tools to really excel there

 
I could see this kid going to Dallas in the second - if he ends up there he could be fantasy gold behind that line
If I had a dollar for every player that I've read this about, I could cover all my entry fees for 10 years.

More importantly - is the Dallas line as good as we've convinced ourselves?

 
I could see this kid going to Dallas in the second - if he ends up there he could be fantasy gold behind that line
If I had a dollar for every player that I've read this about, I could cover all my entry fees for 10 years.

More importantly - is the Dallas line as good as we've convinced ourselves?
McFadden finished the season in strong fashion. I would say it is a pretty good line.
 
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I could see this kid going to Dallas in the second - if he ends up there he could be fantasy gold behind that line
If I had a dollar for every player that I've read this about, I could cover all my entry fees for 10 years.

More importantly - is the Dallas line as good as we've convinced ourselves?
McFadden finished the season in strong fashion. I would say it is a pretty good line.
McFadden ran for 4.6 despite having one of the worst passing games in the NFL. I'd say the line did a good job, but Romo's health is likely every bit as important as the offensive line play for next year.

 
I like him a lot. He reminds me of Marion Barber. Got him as my #2 to Elliot.

Sneaky value, imo.

 
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Why are there never video in any player threads? Very odd.

Here's video of player in question:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OIn7BLfUOY
I have watched him some.

He does have some nice fakes and is good at pressing the hole before cutting back. He shows good vision and timing, patiently waiting for blocks or for the defender to over commit so he can find a crease. He hits these gaps pretty quickly but he does not seem to have break away speed once he does.

I think he runs a bit high and I would like to see more end zone view on some of those inside runs to judge him better. Overall I like him but I am not sure where I would rank him with recent draft classes as yet. I watched Booker awhile ago and I was more impressed with what I saw from him than Collins. I think both are good but I have seen Booker contribute more as a receiver.

Physically he looks a bit like Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, Jamal Charles kind of build to him.

Here is an article I read about him a week or so back.

Here are the draft breakdown games available for him. Only 3 so far, hopefully there will be more in days ahead. I haven't watched these yet but I plan to at some point.

 
He's okay, looks like one of these guys hyped by the fantasy community that slips way down the NFL boards.
I don't like any other back better than him aside from Elliot. Now, he might not be a top 50 pick, because of the positional value in the draft, but what do I care about that?
you should if another back gets picked in front of him
I'll care if he drops dramatically. Or gets drafted by Pittsburgh.

 
I have watched him some.

He does have some nice fakes and is good at pressing the hole before cutting back. He shows good vision and timing, patiently waiting for blocks or for the defender to over commit so he can find a crease. He hits these gaps pretty quickly but he does not seem to have break away speed once he does.

I think he runs a bit high and I would like to see more end zone view on some of those inside runs to judge him better. Overall I like him but I am not sure where I would rank him with recent draft classes as yet. I watched Booker awhile ago and I was more impressed with what I saw from him than Collins. I think both are good but I have seen Booker contribute more as a receiver.

Physically he looks a bit like Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, Jamal Charles kind of build to him.

Here is an article I read about him a week or so back.

Here are the draft breakdown games available for him. Only 3 so far, hopefully there will be more in days ahead. I haven't watched these yet but I plan to at some point.
After watching both I think they have alot of similarities. However Booker often uses his arms to help maintain balance when he is hit. It lends him to pick up more yards after contact but he consistently leaves the football exposed. He also always carries with his left hand and will try to use his left arm to shove defenders while carrying the ball with it.

If I had to choose between the 2 right now I would take Collins before Booker because of his ball security issue. It could be a long road to get that problem solved and I don't think he will see a lot of playing time untill he does.

 
Anyone else see him not drive a pile as much? His leg drive doesn't seem to be there that much and that could be because of all the quick foot moves he does. Needs to learn to push down and forward a little more to drive forward instead of trying to pitter patter with his footwork.

 
I've watched a bit of his tape and I like him just off of first glance. Will dive into it more and take some notes and get back here to see how much that changes but so far has passed the eye test.

As far as not "pushing the pile" I didn't see that as an issue and noticed a pretty consistent ability to carry 1/2 and even 3 defenders forward for few extra yards.

A big positive for me was it seemed his vision was fantastic and his footwork allowed his movements to quickly carry him to where his eyes saw openings. Definitely a good sign!

 
He's okay, looks like one of these guys hyped by the fantasy community that slips way down the NFL boards.
I don't like any other back better than him aside from Elliot. Now, he might not be a top 50 pick, because of the positional value in the draft, but what do I care about that?
Position as an excuse for being a late round pick is garbage. I had a couple people say the same about Kadeem Carey

 
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He's okay, looks like one of these guys hyped by the fantasy community that slips way down the NFL boards.
I don't like any other back better than him aside from Elliot. Now, he might not be a top 50 pick, because of the positional value in the draft, but what do I care about that?
you should if another back gets picked in front of him
Sankey was the first back off the board a couple years ago

 
He's okay, looks like one of these guys hyped by the fantasy community that slips way down the NFL boards.
I don't like any other back better than him aside from Elliot. Now, he might not be a top 50 pick, because of the positional value in the draft, but what do I care about that?
Position as an excuse for being a late round pick is garbage. I had a couple people say the same about Kadeem Carey
.Ignoring the reality of running back draft position is garbage.

He slips in the draft? Make your call. What round?

I'll say 3rd round at worst.

What round you think he slips to?

 
After watching some of his games, his ability to turn a 3 yard gain into a 7 yard gain is what will make him valuable at the next level. His combination of footwork, strength, and burst constantly resulted in positive plays. I'm buying in the mid-1st round of rookie drafts.

http://draftbreakdown.com/video/alex-collins-vs-texas-tech-2014/
The thing is you probably won't have to draft him that high. But who knows depends on when your rookie draft is.

 
After watching some of his games, his ability to turn a 3 yard gain into a 7 yard gain is what will make him valuable at the next level. His combination of footwork, strength, and burst constantly resulted in positive plays. I'm buying in the mid-1st round of rookie drafts.

http://draftbreakdown.com/video/alex-collins-vs-texas-tech-2014/
The thing is you probably won't have to draft him that high. But who knows depends on when your rookie draft is.
When it's all said and done, you just might. I see ~6 prospects right now (Zeke, Treadwell, Doctson for sure, and your pick of the next 3) that will be ahead of him but if his momentum starts growing before the draft and he does well at the combine, there's no reason he wouldn't be considered a mid-late 1st round pick in rookie drafts. Probably already there.

 
He's definitely going to need to learn to run lower. People are gonna love to take shots at this guy if he runs as upright in the NFL as he appears to on tape.

 
Been watching a few of Collins old games. He's really exciting to watch maybe it's the hair but he feels like a mix of Lynch and Charles. He's smart with the clock, falls forward, and has pretty good balance. He's not afraid to run through someone.He's not as fast as Charles in 2nd level but has the juice to break off big chunks of yards. Seemed to be alright in pass protect too. Collins is my favorite RB so far.

 
Rotoworld:

Arkansas RB Alex Collins may interest the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos, believes NFL Media analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.


"They've had a lot of injuries at that position," Jeremiah said of the Patriots. "They need somebody that can also protect the quarterback and help in the passing game, but can (also) grind out those tough yards. I think Alex Collins can give them that." Brooks sees a potential fit with the Super Bowl champions. "The Denver Broncos need a guy that's going to be a bell cow," he said. "A guy that can carry it 25 or more times. Alex Collins is a physical guy and can also do the zone run game. I think he's a good fit." The 5-foot-11, 206-pounder finished with a career-high 1,577 yards last year. We see some Thomas Rawls in him.

Source: NFL.com
Feb 10 - 8:02 PM
 
I have watched him some.

He does have some nice fakes and is good at pressing the hole before cutting back. He shows good vision and timing, patiently waiting for blocks or for the defender to over commit so he can find a crease. He hits these gaps pretty quickly but he does not seem to have break away speed once he does.

I think he runs a bit high and I would like to see more end zone view on some of those inside runs to judge him better. Overall I like him but I am not sure where I would rank him with recent draft classes as yet. I watched Booker awhile ago and I was more impressed with what I saw from him than Collins. I think both are good but I have seen Booker contribute more as a receiver.

Physically he looks a bit like Melvin Gordon, Tevin Coleman, Jamal Charles kind of build to him.

Here is an article I read about him a week or so back.

Here are the draft breakdown games available for him. Only 3 so far, hopefully there will be more in days ahead. I haven't watched these yet but I plan to at some point.
After watching both I think they have alot of similarities. However Booker often uses his arms to help maintain balance when he is hit. It lends him to pick up more yards after contact but he consistently leaves the football exposed. He also always carries with his left hand and will try to use his left arm to shove defenders while carrying the ball with it.

If I had to choose between the 2 right now I would take Collins before Booker because of his ball security issue. It could be a long road to get that problem solved and I don't think he will see a lot of playing time untill he does.
I just wanted to follow up on this as I did watch the games linked above again with your observations in mind.

He does always carry the ball in his left hand. I also noticed some tendency to run outside to the left a bit more than to the right which may be the coaches compensating for not wanting him to expose the ball to the inside (in his left hand) of the defense on runs to the right side. I didn't count them, and most of his good runs are between the tackles anyways, but I think there were more called to the left than there were to the right. The one outside run to the right I recall was not a very effective play.

I did not slow motion enough to notice him using the ball to push off or block for himself with. That is something I agree is a risky thing to do with the ball and not a strategy Booker should be looking to use in the NFL.

 
Been watching a few of Collins old games. He's really exciting to watch maybe it's the hair but he feels like a mix of Lynch and Charles. He's smart with the clock, falls forward, and has pretty good balance. He's not afraid to run through someone.He's not as fast as Charles in 2nd level but has the juice to break off big chunks of yards. Seemed to be alright in pass protect too. Collins is my favorite RB so far.
He's definitely my #2. But that comment caught me off guard. Favorite over Zeke even?

 

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