Scouting the 2021 NFL Draft: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

Zaven Collins scouting report

Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins has emerged as one of the top linebacker prospects in the 2021 NFL draft despite not being heavily recruited out of high school. The 2020 Bronko Nagurski Award winner is a throwback of sorts who will appeal to every team, regardless of the defensive scheme.

Collins was a four-year starter at Hominy High School in Hominy, Oklahoma, and was a productive dual-threat quarterback who threw for over 1,600 yards and ran for more than 1,500 as a senior, totaling a combined 50 touchdowns that year. Despite his production as a quarterback and linebacker, Collins received scholarship offers from just Tulsa and Central Oklahoma.

Collins’ decision to go to Tulsa proved to be a good one as he elevated to the starting lineup during his sophomore season in 2018. He started the final 10 games that year. Collins started all 12 games in 2019 and earned second-team all-conference honors after posting 97 tackles, eight tackles for loss and two sacks. Despite a truncated season, Collins enjoyed a breakout year in 2020 with 54 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and four interceptions in just eight games.

Physically, Collins is a throwback to traditional inside linebackers at 6-4, 260 pounds. He carries his weight well and is a lean 260. Despite his plus-size, Collins would be well-served to get a little stronger. I don’t think he should add weight, but he has to build more functional strength at the point of attack. Collins’ supporters will overrate his size a bit; he doesn’t play as big as his measurables.

Athletically, Collins’ history as a dual-threat quarterback is evident. He has very good movement skills. He possesses good agility for a 260-pounder; he has loose hips and doesn’t need to gear down when altering his course. His linear speed isn’t elite, but his short-area explosiveness is appealing.

Against the run, Collins possesses a well-rounded skill set to play both as a pursuit player and a guy who can win against power in the trenches. His size/athletic ability combination makes him one of the few defenders who can play at a functional NFL starter’s level both in space and versus power as a run defender. You’ll be hard-pressed finding any defensive coordinator who won’t rank him high on their run defense wish list. Collins has very good read and react skills and is consistent in how he attacks the football with good angles and a finisher’s mentality. He’s a reliable tackler who won’t have many whiffs on his resume. He’ll need to get stronger to stack and shed with more consistency.

Collins’ draft grade receives a significant boost because of his ability to win as both a pass rusher and in coverage. He moves so well for a guy with his size that you forget he’s 260 pounds when he drops into coverage against smaller pass-catchers. He has a good nose for the ball and the kind of click and close ability that’s usually reserved for ball-hawking safeties. Collins is a playmaker, too, as established by his four interceptions in 2020. He registered 16 pressures as a pass-rusher this year and will rank as a quality edge prospect for teams that want to let him rush from a two-point stance.

Overall, Collins is a good football player who has few weaknesses but also few ‘wow’ traits. What makes him so enticing is his physical makeup. He’s bigger than the other highly ranked linebackers in the 2021 draft while having nearly as much athletic ability as a pass-rusher and cover guy. Teams looking for pure juice and speed at inside linebacker might knock Collins down a few spots, but players like him often find themselves in an NFL starting lineup for a very long time. Collins is a safe pick who will upgrade a defense in Year 1.

GRADE: 8.0 (first round)

Bryan Perez

Bryan is the founder of Pro Football Draft. His work has been featured on The Draft Network, NBC Sports and USA Today. Former CFL scout.

Follow him on Twitter: @BryanPerezNFL