Jamie Collins Named Top 10 Linebacker by ESPN

ESPN ranks Jamie Collins as a top 10 linebacker headed into the 2020 NFL season. Do you agree?

This offseason, the Detroit Lions and general manager Bob Quinn signed linebacker Jamie Collins to a three-year, $30 million deal. 

The 30-year-old's average yearly salary currently has him as the NFL's 15th-highest paid off-ball linebacker.

Coming from the New England Patriots, some assumed the Lions overpaid just to obtain a player familiar with Detroit head man Matt Patricia's defensive scheme. 

However, according to a select group of NFL personnel, the Lions actually might have acquired one of the best off-ball linebackers in the league.

Recently, ESPN compiled opinions from more than 50 league executives, coaches, players and scouts to help rank all the positions, including the top 10 linebackers in the NFL, going into the 2020 season.

Landing in the top 10 for linebackers was the newly acquired Collins -- at No. 8 to be exact. 

Actually, one unnamed coordinator even ranked Collins as high as the second-best overall linebacker.

The anonymous coordinator commented, “He can cover running backs, good blitzer, lines up as EDGE rusher or off the ball. Very instinctive, good football intelligence and makes plays.”

Now, not every individual in the survey had Collins in their top 10, but there was definitely some high praise for the versatile linebacker.

One NFL team employee said, “There’s no one like him. If you use him to attack the underneath stuff and at the line of scrimmage like Bill [Belichick] did, he’s top five.”

Obviously, with Patricia being a former coach of Collins while in New England and coming from the Patriots coaching tree, you would hope that Patricia will understand Collins' skill set and maximize his potential.

While Collins had a two-and-a-half year stint with the Cleveland Browns, he saw quite a few more snaps playing on the edge. 

Meanwhile, he was used on the defensive line much more sparingly while with the Patriots. 

Overall, Collins was much more efficient in New England.

Now, the Lions did release JACK linebacker Devon Kennard a few months ago.

That hybrid EDGE defender role is still up for grabs, and many have assumed that Collins could be the direct replacement. 

However, solely lining up at JACK may not be utilizing Collins to the best of his abilities, if his time in Cleveland is any example.

It remains to be seen where Collins will spend most of his time.

But, according to people around the league, the Patriots' version of Collins is one of the best linebackers in the game.

ESPN's full top-10 LB rankings:

1.) Bobby Wagner, Seattle Seahawks

2.) Lavonte David, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

3.) Eric Kendricks, Minnesota Vikings

4.) Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts

5.) Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints

6.) Deion Jones, Atlanta Falcons

7.) Tremaine Edmunds, Buffalo Bills

8.) Jamie Collins Sr., Detroit Lions

9.) C.J. Mosley, New York Jets

10.) Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers

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