I’ve seen him cover running backs and tight ends and wide receivers in the slot,” Duggan said of Collins, who 18 passes defensed and three picks (two returned for touchdowns) over the course of his career at USM. “He understands pass coverage assignments, and he’s so strong that when he gets his hands on you, you aren’t moving. But he also has really good speed and good bend, and he can cover with the best of them. Tight ends, he can match up with them. He’s really fast and really athletic and really strong.
Great read from Christopher Price. I wrote a lot about the need for a coverage linebacker this offseason, and really, when you look at the stats, it was their biggest coverage problem the last two seasons.
Football Outsiders had the Pats ranked 30th against “Other WR”, 29th vs. TEs, and 23rd vs. Running Backs in 2012. So Collins is explosive and everyone is imagining him as a pass rusher, if he can help in coverage, he could make a huge instant impact.