Draft Analysis: Nico Collins

December 27, 2020 /
  • Height: 6’4″
  • Weight: 222
  • College: Michigan
  • Tape watched: Florida (2018), Ohio State (2018), Alabama (2019),
  • NFL Comparison: Marques Colston

Pros

  • Combat Catches/High Point
    Nico Collins is a man among boys when the ball is in the air. Displaying elite level body and ball control, Collins will excel as a redzone threat and jump ball receiver in the NFL. He will excel at tracking footballs at the next level
  • Size/Body Control
    Size is a definite plus at 6’4″ 220lb+ for Collins. He is good at shielding defenders from contested catches. His size also leads to broken tackles. Collins is above average at adjusting to throws in the air, which was a trait he flashed a lot with quarterback issues at Michigan.
  • Blocking
    Collins clearly has the frame to dominate smaller corners, which he has shown he can already do. Consistency is key here, whether he can stay disciplined in a stance and drive defenders out of his area. He has strong and lanky arms that are effective in winning leverage battles.

Cons

  • Speed
    Collins doesn’t appear to be a track star on the football field. He has long strides that eat up space, but he certainly isn’t going to run past NFL cornerbacks. His 40 time may very well turn out better than expected due to his strong stature and long strides, but it doesn’t appear he will standout in this area at the next level.
  • YAC
    Not much to write home about, unless defenders take bad angles or he’s able to avoid leg tackles. Nico Collins will pick up difficult yardage between the sticks, but he doesn’t have the YAC appeal of others in this class due to lateral limitations.

Separation/Release
Collins primarily utilizes one release on the snap. His triple jab and release is his go-to, and it is effective at getting him enough space to get his arms extended. At the next level, he may find separation issues if he cannot diversify his deception at the line of scrimmage. He had some games from 2019 where he would repeatedly run into the corner at the top of his route stem. This isn’t ideal for separation and can be called illegal contact in most cases past the five yard contact window.

  • Route Tree
    Much like the knocks on Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan asked Collins to stay on primarily vertical planes. He ran fade and post routes well, where he could utilize his 50/50 ball skills to his advantage. He does not create separation underneath in man coverage due to his slow cuts and lack of deception in his route breaks. He does seem to have a natural feel for zone coverage, and is not phased by throws in tight windows.

Overview

Nico Collins opted out of the 2020 college football season due to the uncertainty of the Big Ten’s ruling on COVID19. He instead decided to start his training for the NFL draft in 2021.

NFL teams will get an NFL ready receiver that can improve any vertical and redzone passing game at the start of his rookie season. He has top level body control, hands, and concentration through contact. He posted back to back seasons at Michigan with at least six touchdowns. The combine will hopefully give insight into how he improved his agilities, and what his true 40 time is. Collins can benefit by diversifying his release, adding different footwork and deception to give coverages more to look for. With how abnormal the 2020 football season has been, Collins will rely solely on two and three year game-tape to pair with his combine results to impress teams and sneak into the first round.