Zaven Collins: Am I Wrong About the Tulsa Linebacker? Should the Browns Draft Him?

Perhaps the most popular player selected in mock drafts for the Cleveland Browns is Tulsa linebacker Zaven Collins. I asked Jim Mora Jr. why I'm wrong about him, why the Browns should take him.

Pete Smith | Apr 2, 2021

Friday, one of the notable participants in Pro Day was Tulsa linebacker Zavens Collins and he did not disappoint. Looking the part of an edge rusher, Collins has played a hybrid off ball linebacker and edge rusher, which has become popular to link to the Cleveland Browns with the 26th pick of the NFL Draft.

My opinion on Collins is that however good he might be, the Browns don't really put a premium on linebackers and that he doesn't help them beat either of the teams that were in the AFC Championship last year; the Kansas City Chiefs or the Buffalo Bills. He's far more interesting as a full time edge player but there are better options for that role likely to be available at the Browns pick.

That's not a knock of his talent, but just where the AFC conference is headed with mobile quarterbacks that are perfectly happy to rely almost entirely on the passing game with the quarterback occasionally scrambling for yardage.

So I asked former head coach of the UCLA Bruins, Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks Jim Mora Jr. to tell me why I'm wrong on Collins.

Collins put together an athletic profile at Pro Day.

Height: 6'4 3/4"

Weight: 259 lbs

40-Yard Dash: 4.67

Vertical: 35''

Broad Jump: 10'2''

Bench Press: 19 reps

Every one of these marks is great for someone his size. If he did agility and those numbers become available, they will be added. Some may quibble with his speed, but it's more than adequate. The problem is for faster linebackers, they need to be smaller.

His explosion is excellent and could help him play faster than his straight line speed would suggest. He's not a sideline to sideline player, so expecting him to be is a mistake. He's a power player who does his best work playing down hill and dropping into short zones.

Published Apr 2, 2021

PETE SMITH