Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins was my favorite defensive prospect coming out of this draft for several reasons. I think he’s only scratching the surface of his potential, and has an opportunity to develop one of the most complete defensive toolkits we’ve seen a player come up with. I think he’s a freak athlete. And, I think this dude has some Grade A linebacking instincts. I hitched my wagon to him earlier on this week when I put him in the top 10 of my big board on the SoBros Patreon. So, when the Arizona Cardinals made the call and added Collins with the 16th overall pick, I was ecstatic.
The Cardinals have an explosive offense with one of the best up and coming quarterbacks in the league, Kyler Murray, and one of the best receivers in the game, DeAndre Hopkins. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury has that unit HUMMING. But, the defense was a few pieces shy of a bunch. And, maybe what I like the most about Collins is that he can be a glue piece. He can do so many things for your defense – sure, he has the explosive athleticism to be a nightmarish pass rusher, but I always found it to be an oversimplification to call this guy an EDGE. Tulsa used him a lot to clog up passing lanes, cause confusion for opposing quarterbacks, and even spy on them in some instances. I think he has all the traits you look for in an elite inside linebacker in the NFL. Usually, I scoff at the lofty NFL projections (hell, I just wrote about how I don’t like Zach Wilson because of the Mahomes-Rodgers comparisons). But, when you tell me Zaven Collins looks a lot like Brian Urlacher, I watch the tape…and I say, “yeah. I see it.”
So, I’m happy for Collins that he landed in a place that could really use what he brings to the table. And, the moment he got that call made for one of my favorite moments on draft night.
The moment Zaven Collins has been working for his entire career @brgridiron⁰⁰This is what the NFL draft is all about⁰⁰(via @AZCardinals)pic.twitter.com/uDSgWFLvgQ
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 30, 2021
I don’t know what to add to this, folks. This is what it’s all about. All the years of practice, playing, the hard work that goes into what it takes to make it to the NFL….if you have that sort of fire burning within you, it makes moments like these even sweeter. For so many guys, a major life moment was created last night. For a lot, their lives will never be the same. It’s special, and sometimes, overwhelming. We break down every single pick and its impact on its respective team…but a video like this reminds us of what this is like for the players….for all the family members, and the support that they have in their lives. Football, and sports in general, don’t always have the best reputation in our society. But, when people ask me why I love football so much, it’s stuff like this that comes to mind right away.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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