2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: WR Nico Collins, Michigan

Nico Collins has all the traits of a a big-bodied 'X receiver." Here's what else he brings to the table.

WR NICO COLLINS 

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 220 lbs.
Class: Senior
School: Michigan

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Notables

He opted out of the 2020 season. ... He attended the Reese’s Senior Bowl and looked solid during the week of practice.

Traits

Collins has great size and weight for the position with really good thickness in his lower half. He’s high-cut in the waist and is a long strider.

He lined up all over the place for the Michigan Wolverines and even in the slot. He is an interesting size/speed player who can probably be had on Day 2 of the draft.

He possesses good athletic ability for a receiver of his stature, has good straight-line speed, solid explosive traits, and has very good control over his body.

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He has a slight second gear that allows him to accelerate and stack easier when his speed gains momentum. Excellent ability to stop on a dime and turn back to the quarterback on short hooks/curls, and he also does a very good job using his hands to win at the line of scrimmage--beating press coverage wasn’t an issue.

His releases aren’t overly fluid (mainly due to lack of immediate explosive traits off the line); he uses one-step, two-step, and stretch releases in an attempt to stack, but this isn’t his strength. 

However, he did show an improvement at the Senior Bowl in this area. I love his change of direction on those curls and on quick slants--he uses his body very well to shield defensive backs from the catch point. He has good wiggle and hips for a receiver of his size, but separation quickness isn’t his strong suit.

He does a solid job creating separation with his body movements up the stem (lean, stick, flipper, etc.). However, his burst in and out of breaks is adequate at best. 

His inside breaks aren’t as crisp the further down the field he goes--he tends to round the break-off, giving corners a beat on his direction. He isn’t a zero to 100 type of speed guy--he is more of a build-up speed type of player. 

That build-up speed trait led him to be a quality vertical threat who averaged 19.7 yards per catch in 2019.

His routes could use some polish in the deeper portions of the field, especially if they have sharper cuts. He doesn’t do much to sell breaks. 

Collins was guilty of some concentration drops, which was very evident against Ohio State in 2019. Overall though, he does possess big, strong hands. 

He’s excellent in one on one jump ball, contested catch, situations, and shows impressive body control, tracking, and concentration to the high point and secure poorly thrown passes. 

He shows good lower body explosiveness to leap and secure in these vertical situations.

Collins does a very good job using his size to his advantage; he out-muscled plenty of smaller defenders in college and did an excellent job bringing physicality to his offense by lowering his shoulder and running through opponents to pick up yards after the catch. He’s also a very willing blocker that seems to take pride in dominating at the point of attack.

Overall, Collins is an “X” receiver that fans and media claim the Giants need. It makes sense: A big-bodied, physical player who does a good job winning contested-catch situations and is a true red-zone threat. 

Collins isn’t the most consistent, and he’s never had more than 38 catches in a season, but he has good vertical movement skills for a man of his size. 

His separation quickness will be a concern at the next level if he doesn’t improve his route running; athletically, it’s already not ideal other than slants/curls and nine routes. 

There’s certainly untapped potential with Collins, who was stuck in a Michigan program without a true quarterback option. He’s a good target for the Giants that makes a lot of sense somewhere on Day 2. 

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