Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Draft Prospects to Know: LB Zaven Collins

The Green Bay Packers have a decent young core at the linebacker position with 2020 fifth-round pick Kamal Martin and 2020 undrafted rookie Krys Barnes. Martin flies around the field, having made several plays in the backfield last season, while Barnes was the Mike linebacker and signal-caller by the end of last season.

However, that isn’t to say that the Green Bay Packers can’t upgrade the position, or at least add some needed depth, as both Barnes and Martin missed time last season with injuries and both have room to grow as defenders. These are a few reasons why many draft analysts have the Packers selecting a linebacker in Round 1–there are improvements to be made.

Historically, this is a position that Green Bay just doesn’t value very highly, and they won’t spend a premium pick on it. So when I see these mock drafts having the Packers taking a linebacker at pick 29, my thought is that I’ll believe it when I see it.

With that said, when it comes to someone like Zaven Collins, if the Green Bay Packers did select him in the first round, I’d absolutely get why.

At nearly 6’5” – 259 pounds, Collins is a bit of a throwback at the linebacker position in terms of his size, but don’t let that fool you; he has the athleticism to be a 3-down linebacker in the NFL right away.

At his Pro-Day this past Friday, Collins posted a 4.67 forty-yard dash time along with a broad jump of 10’2”, a 35-inch vertical, and 19-reps on the bench press. His final Relative Athletic Score was  9.55 out of 10–one of the best out of all linebackers in this draft class.

In addition to the athletic testing, Collins impressed during his position drills as well. Jeffri Chadiha of the NFL Network, who was in attendance, had this to say about Collins’ performance:

"“The big thing he did was on the field in the positional drills. He’s 6-5, 260 pounds, he moved great, very fluid catching the ball, he really showcased that versatility that makes him so attractive to all these teams. The guy could be a three-down linebacker for you — he showed that.”"

Collins was a full-time starter at Tulsa during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, but he burst onto the scene this past year with a monster 2020 campaign. When it was all said and done, Collins had recorded 16 pressures, including four sacks, and on the 11 receptions that he allowed in coverage, they went for on average just 5.4 yards per catch. Collins also came away with four interceptions, a pass breakup, and he did all of this in only eight games.

He was Pro Football Focus’ ($$) highest-graded linebacker in 2020, and Collins would go on to win the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is given to the nation’s top defensive player. Whether it be against the run, in coverage, or as a blitzer, there was nothing that Collins didn’t do last season.

For a closer look at Collins’ game, this is what PFF has to say about him in their 2021 NFL Draft Guide:

"“With the linebacker position in the NFL getting smaller and smaller in recent years, Collins is a decidedly different animal. At 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, Collins has throwback thumper size combined with modern athleticism. His performance this past year for Tulsa was nothing short of special.He consistently made plays in coverage, with four picks and a pass breakup in only eight games. His best attribute when projecting to the next level, though, is what he can do as a blitzer — running backs aren’t blocking this dude. He’s going to be high on any blitz-heavy team’s draft board and will wreak havoc on opposing offenses.”"

On PFF’s big board, Collins is the fourth rated linebacker and 35th rated player overall. The Draft Network feels similarly, with Collins also as the fourth linebacker on their board and 26th player overall. He is projected as a late first-round pick by the NFL Mock Draft Database, right where the Packers will be selecting.

As part of the pre-draft process, the Green Bay Packers have already met with Collins, and it’s easy to see why. In the middle of this defense, he would provide Green Bay with a presence that they just haven’t had. As I mentioned, the Packers don’t typically value the linebacker position early on, but is this the year they make an exception?