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2015 NFL Draft Combine Profile: Alabama Safety Landon Collins

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In college football this year there were good safety prospects — then there was Landon Collins. To put it bluntly, he will not be competing with anyone for the top safety spot in the NFL Draft, as he secured that before the first snap this past season.

Collins is a freak athlete standing at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. He runs like the wind and hits as hard as a Mike Tyson uppercut. While it’s clear I’m engaging in a bit of hyperbole, the fact of the matter is he’s leaps and bounds superior to any safety in the country and will undoubtedly hear his name called early in this year’s draft.

With the NFL Combine approaching, Collins has an opportunity to make headlines by doing what I believe would cause NFL GMs and coaches to do double-take after double-take when word of his Combine numbers reverberates throughout the Indianapolis rafters.

While common sense would tell most people to simply turn on the tape to see whether a guy can play or not, many use the Combine as the measuring stick and final say-so as to where they make their draft selections. For Collins, this is a great thing, and with his tools, he will cause many a jaw to drop and the salivating of mouths will be plenty as I believe a Combine destruction will take place on Feb. 23.

For those who followed the Alabama Crimson Tide last year and this year, it was easy to spot Collins as he immediately impressed with his physical traits as well as literally leaping off your screen with stellar play-making ability. However, while his athleticism is without a doubt unquestioned, there are weaknesses in his game that must be addressed during his professional career.

In terms of run-stopping, there may not be a better safety in the last five years better than Collins in this area. He covered ground as well as anyone I have seen, delivered impact blows and finished tackles with authority. However, his pass-coverage needs work.

When it’s time to make plays, he clearly is capable, and his game-clinching interception this past season against the Arkansas Razorbacks proved so as he jumped up and snatched a pass to save the game for the Tide. Unfortunately, he has been beaten like a drum on many occasions as well. If you rewind your DVR to the Ole Miss game, Collins was exposed countless times en route to an Ole Miss comeback, thus ending the Tide’s chances at an undefeated season.

Still in all, Collins is an elite talent and prospect with the chance to be special at the next level. He plays with undeniable passion that will inspire players and coaches who will see to it that he lives up to his potential of being an All-Pro player. For those who will be watching the first round hoping your team selects Collins, look somewhere in the top 10 — he won’t be around too much longer after that.

Brandon Williams is an Atlanta Braves writer for www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter, @BfreshAlum4UA, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.

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