Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
There’s no doubting that the Dallas Cowboys came away with one of the best draft classes in the NFL this year. Byron Jones, Randy Gregory and La’el Collins were all viewed as first-round talents and all three seem to be ready to contribute immediately. That could be the case for the first two, but maybe not so much with Collins.
While Jones and Gregory are stepping in at positions of weakness for the Cowboys a year ago, Collins is walking into a position group that’s one of the best in the league. No offensive line got more attention than the Cowboys’ headlined by three Pro Bowlers. To Collins’ benefit, he has the ability to play the two spots without Pro Bowlers in 2014: left guard and right tackle.
Currently stationed by Ronald Leary and Doug Free, left guard and right tackle are by no means weaknesses for the Cowboys. Both players had strong 2014 campaigns and would start on any other team. Collins, once viewed as a top-10 talent, fell in the draft due to an off-the-field issue in which he had no wrongdoing. Based on his projection as a top-10 pick, Collins would seem to be the favorite over the undrafted Leary and Free, who was taken in the fourth round.
Unfortunately for Collins, the NFL isn’t built upon projections — it’s built upon current performance. With that said, Leary and Free absolutely will not hand Collins a job. He’ll have to take it.
Just about everyone, myself included, was quick to assume that Collins would supplant Leary at left guard from day one. That’s hardly the case. It’s still early, but Leary has been taking first-team reps for most of OTAs, while Collins has filled in for Free at right tackle. When Free returns — likely in training camp — the real battle between Leary and Collins will begin.
You’d be foolish to think Leary will fold and give Collins his spot with ease. There’s no doubt Collins will have to earn his spot on the line, and it won’t be a cakewalk. You don’t walk into the league’s best offensive as a rookie, regardless of where you were projected to go in the draft. It’s time to pull back on the assumption that Collins will start right away.
