Arkansas’ offense was one of the most unheralded bunches in the SEC this past season. Not only did Brandon Allen was one of the better unheard-of quarterbacks in the nation, the combination of Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams gave the Razorbacks a deadly duo of power and speed to work with, and one of the better pass-catching tight ends in Hunter Henry.
Collins is a player that provides some intrigue at the next level for his combination of power and his running style. At 5-foot-10, 220 pounds, Collins is a bowling ball and the type of player you do not want to meet for a tackle. Let’s take a look at the film and see how Collins projects to the NFL.
The thing that impresses me most with Collins is his ability to hit the hole with authority. He doesn’t have elite top-tier speed, but he shows enough to get skinny to get through a hole. And after he gets through that hole, he’s gone.
For a guy his size, you might think Collins has trouble changing directions, but this clip shows that he’s fine in this department.
When the hole collapses, Collins excels at finding the open spot of the defense, as is the case in this clip below. Also in this clip, Collins creates space downfield with his underrated athleticism.
Here’s a clip of Collins showing just an excellent combination of balance and power. This combination allows him to bring multiple defenders with him into the endzone.
Here’s another clip of Collins getting ‘skinny’ through a hole.
Here’s just another clip of how explosive Collins can be when he gets through a hole. Despite his size, Collins is a guy that put six on the scoreboard whenever possible.
Collins is a guy that is excelling at getting around the edge. Once the final block is sealed, a player with his size is just really tough to tackle.
Collins is a guy that would bode well in the NFL in zone-type running offense. He’s an excellent slasher and he runs downfield with ferociousness. You’d like to see his game out of the backfield improve a bit, but he’s the type of player that can tire out defenses and make them pay if they don’t wrap up.
How would Collins fit in Dallas? Talking about zone running schemes, the Dallas Cowboys have one set up that can be the best in football. However, they don’t have a running back that can truly cut and slash like a zone back is supposed to. Darren McFadden was great in 2015, but a zone scheme actually isn’t his specialty. By drafting Collins, the Cowboys would get their zone back. Collins would be able to contribute from the get-go in Dallas as well.
Games watched: Kansas State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech (2014).
Next up on the docket: Aaron Green
