Alex Collins. RB, Arkansas Razorbacks

Position: Running Back
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 215
Year: Junior
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Experience: Jr. - 3 year starter

Measurables:

Projected 40yd dash: 4.59 Seconds
Broad jump: 113.0 Inch
Vertical: 28.5 Inch
3-cone: N/A
20yd. Shuttle: N/A
Bench Press: 18 Reps

Career Notes:

Alex Collins was a highly touted prospect coming out of South Plantation High School, ranked as the No. 1 running back and No. 17 overall prospect by 247Sports.com.  His mother wanted him to stay close to home and accept an offer from top schools Florida or Florida State.  The Razorbacks were coming off a devastating season filled with coaching controversy, injuries, and a plummet from their preseason AP Top 10 ranking to a 4-8 record.  Brett Bielema left the Big 10 to accept a head coaching job for the Razorbacks in 2013 and needed a running back to be the focal point for his ground-and-pound offense.  Thus, he began his tenure in the SEC by convincing Alex Collins to take the reins and join the Razorbacks. 

Bielema kept true to him promise, making Alex Collins the centerpiece of Arkansas's backfield from day one.  Collins started his career with three straight 100-yard games, a feat not accomplished by a freshman since Adrian Peterson in 2004, and led Arkansas to its only wins of the season.  He finished the season with over 1,000 rushing yards, most by any freshman that year, even while splitting carries with fellow 2016 NFL Draft running back Jonathan Williams.  He was named SEC Freshman of the Year, Freshman All-American, and to the SEC All-Freshman Team.  His sophomore saw more of the same committee approach as both backs topped the 1,000 yard mark, Collins second consecutive.  He had his biggest moments in the biggest games, having at least 75 rushing yards and a touchdown in games against ranked Texas A&M, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss.  Arkansas qualified for bowl eligibility and defeated the Texas Longhorns 31-7 due to Collins's strong performance. 

After consecutive 1,000 yard campaigns and twelve touchdowns in his sophomore season, Alex Collins entered his junior season with a lot of promise.  Due to the emergence of Jonathan Williams, Collins didn't consistently see the majority of carries each week during his first two seasons.  That changed in 2015 as Williams was lost for the season to injury.  Collins thrived as the feature back for the Razorbacks, setting career highs in rushing yardage(1,577), rushing touchdowns(20), and average yards per carry(5.8).  Arkansas finished 8-5 on the year, with Collins rushing for over 100 yards in each game.  He finished his career as the No. 2 all-time rusher at Arkansas. 

Collins proved that he can be a capable runner both in a committee situation and as a feature back.  He enters the draft as a junior with three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons.  Collins's mental sharpness and statistical production grew with each year.  His physical nature, desire to fight for extra yardage, and consistency over his three years at Arkansas have vaulted Collins into the upper half of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Injury Report: 

Collins has been a very durable back due to his compact frame.  Collins never missed time in his three seasons at Arkansas, playing in 38 straight games with 14 starts. 

Career Stats:

For a full breakdown of Alex Collins career stats, follow the link below:
http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/alex-collins-1.html

Analysis:

Speed/Quickness: 3.5/5.0.  Collins won't blaze you away with his straight line speed.  He struggles to separate from defenders in open space to the outside.  He typically lines up deep in the backfield, giving him plenty of space to build up momentum.  What Collins lacks in flat speed, he more than makes up for with a variety of jukes, jump steps, and spins that show incredibly quick feet.  Collins bounces around defenders in the hole, making quick moves to reach the second level.  By avoiding defenders at the point of attack using quick, lateral movements, Collins is still able to break off explosive runs when reaching open field. 

Vision: 4.0/5.0.  Watching Collins on the field at Arkansas from day one, I noticed a distinct sense of urgency from the running back.  Collins has great field vision, seemingly always trying to find small holes that will break the play wide open.  Sometimes he can be caught making too many moves trying to avoid defenders to find space, which doesn't allow him to build up speed.  Even though he uses lateral steps and movements to avoid defenders, Collins runs with determination and is quick to head upfield.  Collins showed in 2015 that he could utilize a large workload to gradually break down defenses.  Collins has great vision to find the long gain, playing chess with defenses over the course of each game. 

Power: 4.0/5.0.  Collins is a compact back that runs with determination and is not afraid to carry defenders when need be.  He constantly runs north to south, making contact with defenders and finding ways to bounce off them.  His first move is not to run straight through a defender but to make a move around him.  This causes Collins to run upright, and he sometimes fails to get his pad level down before contact.  Collins is a fierce rusher when contact is inevitable, though.  Collins continues to churn his legs and drive forward regardless of how many defenders surround him.  He was the perfect fit for Brett Bielema's power run game, and has great instincts and strength to be a solid goal-line option from day one in the NFL.  Not only does Collins show power while running the ball, he also was a physical presence as a pass blocker.  Better at handling rushers off the edge than up the middle, Collins is quick to make contact with the defender and continually fights to keep his quarterback upright.

Pass Receiving:2.0/5.  Bielema's offense doesn't cater to the receiving halfback.  Collins only had 27 receptions for 167 yards over 38 games in his college career, not giving a great sample size for NFL scouts.  He did show soft hands on those receptions and grew as a route runner in his final season.  Sometimes he breaks for his routes too early on passing downs when he should be picking up the inside blitzer. 

Ball Security: 1.5/5.  Perhaps Collins's biggest area of weakness is his ball security where he averaged.5 fumbles per game over his career.  With 5 of his 16 career fumbles occurring his junior year, along with being confronted by his head coach at midseason, it's prevalent that Collins convince NFL teams that he can hold on to the football. 

Overall Grade: 3.0/5.0  

Summary: Alex Collins has a special twitch about him that I think will make him a successful running back in the NFL.  His combination of vision, quickness, and power rival the top backs in this draft.  NFL executives will be impressed with his agility in tight spaces as well as his ability to block in passing situations.  Collins is athletic enough to be drafted, yet his hard work, determination with the football, and stability over his career are traits that could help him land in the second or third round.  His ball security and lack of production in the passing game worry me, but I think Collins is a special player with the drive to succeed in this league.

If drafted by the Packers:

Before the 2015 season, it did not seem very likely that the Packers would be targeting a running back with their first several picks in the draft.  Then Eddie Lacy entered coach Mike McCarthy's doghouse and had the worst season of his young career.  McCarthy made it very clear that Lacy would both have to get his act together off the field and slim down to be more agile on it.  Lacy's goal is to lose an astounding 30 lbs. by the start of next season.  Failing to meet such a lofty goal could land Lacy firmly back on the bench as McCarthy has hinted. 

With James Starks's set to hit free agency and the uncertainty of bringing him back, that leaves former undrafted player John Crocket to join Lacy as the only two running backs on the roster.  With the success Lacy had in his first two years and the flash that Crocket showed in a small sample size, it seems unnecessary for Ted Thompson to draft a running back in round one or even round two.  Collins could be seen as a top-5 back in this draft, making him a viable round 2-3 pick.  Collins does offer several strengths that could cause the unpredictable Thompson to grab another running back early in the draft. 

Green Bay is still looking for the role of a shiftier, patient running back to compliment Eddie Lacy.  Collins could be what Thompson was looking for in Johnathan Frankllin before his career was abruptly ended.  Collins isn't the thumper that Eddie Lacy is, but he has a larger arsenal of moves to elude defenders in the hole.  Starks has been an adequate change-of-pace back for Lacy, but he's not the shifty quick back this team is missing.  The Packers need more playmaking ability from their running backs in 2016, and Collins could provide a jolt in his rookie season while competing with Lacy for carries. 

Video:

RB Alex Collins Autozone Liberty Bowl vs. Kansas State: