Dominant Defensive Line Anchor Would Be Nice
April 20th, 2025
Texas DT Alfred Collins.
Joe remembers for a couple of years early in The Lost Decade, the Bucs had a monster by way of the Lone Star State with a deep James Earl Jones-like voice, big Frank Okam.
Big Frank was a Longhorns product standing 6-4, 370 and boy he ate up space on the line. Well, one of the better defensive tackle prospects coming out this spring is approaching Big Frank’s size. That would be Longhorns tackle Alfred Collins.
Collins is a big, gnarly tackle. He’s 6-5 1/2, 332 with an 85-inch wingspan and he effs people up inside.
It seems Collins’ biggest drawback is he isn’t much of a pass rusher. But if you want a guy who stops offensive linemen in their tracks, swallows up runners and frees up linebackers to fly, Collins is that guy.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic points that out in his draft guide known as “The Beast.”
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Texas, Collins played nose tackle in defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski’s front, although he saw most of his 2024 snaps over the B-gap (299, compared to 145 over the A-gap and 129 over the tackle). Highly recruited out of the Austin area, he was given an “underachiever” label by some while playing behind T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy III in 2023, but he played his best ball in 2024 with starting-level snaps.
A coordinated big man, Collins plays with natural power and does a great job as a two-gapper, stacking, peeking and grounding ball carriers between the tackles. His hands are more heavy than disciplined, and he struggles to root himself versus doubles because of his tall pads. Overall, Collins is still learning how to maximize his size and talent, but he took a sizable jump this past season and shows the physical traits to be a disruptive force, especially against the run. He will provide immediate depth as a rookie, and his snap count should increase with experience.
Then there is CBS analyst Emory Hunt, the Czar of the Playbook, and his analysis of Collins in his annual “2025 Football Gameplan Draft Guide.”
– Does a great job in quickly recognizing traps and influence plays and quickly finds the blocker that’s supposed to wham/trap him to get hands on him, occupying the gap in the process.
– Long arms and wingspan, when he gets the one-arm stab going into the chest of a lineman, he’s able to walk him back into the backfield.
– Pursues the ball well, never giving up on the play. He’ll reverse out to go and give chase, at times getting the stop.
A durable guy (suited up for 64 of 65 games in Austin) that is often too big to move, hustles and runs down ballcarriers, and disrupts the pass with his paws, what’s not too like?
Disrupts passes? That’s what Brugler noted. Last year at Texas, Collins was tied for the second-most batted down passes in college football with six. Collins also has a blocked field goal.
Joe likes big, physical dudes who are bullies up front and that’s what Collins is. The Bucs are one ornery defensive tackle away from being just like the Eagles with a ferocious interior on their defensive line.
Collins is expected to be a second-night draft pick. If the Bucs pick a safety or a corner at No. 19 and then follow that up with a guy like Collins, Joe can think of a whole lot worse start to a draft.
There’s no such thing as a cant-miss prospect, but it’s really hard to imagine a team drafting Alfred Collins and their run defense not immediately improving. Dude sheds blocks like he's pulling weeds in the yard pic.twitter.com/4hwLccloyx
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) February 13, 2025
April 20th, 2025 at 11:11 am
He is Risen
April 20th, 2025 at 11:13 am
Yep, he would be a great day 2 or 3 pick…according to what we do in the first.
April 20th, 2025 at 11:34 am
Most pundits agree, that after about the top 10 prospects in the draft, the difference between players plateaus. At that point, consensus about who’s better than who at a particular position varies among the eyes of the analysts. Licht and Bowles can pick up a lot of decent players in Rounds 2-4, many of them profiled here on JBF. So as Ira has suggested, if someone has an area of dire need and wants to trade with the Bucs and move up to 19 to grab him, there’s a good likelihood of Licht trading out of the first round.
April 20th, 2025 at 11:49 am
Some of us have The Chubs over a player like this. Dude sounds like a later round pick. If he could penetrate the middle he’d be a top 10. Anyhow, if Jason takes him, I’m down.
April 20th, 2025 at 12:01 pm
I don’t see anybody trading up to 19. The talent after the top 15 is pretty equal.
April 20th, 2025 at 12:09 pm
I remember reading Joel Buchsbaum and his Profootball Weekly shortly after moving to Florida in 1982. Well, me and a mentor of mine (Ron) – 25 years my senior would pour through the draft guides every year.
In 1987, we were doing our version of the mock draft between us and we both wanted Jerry Ball for a very large sized Defensive tackle in the 2 or 3 round.
Selected by Detroit, we were constantly reminded how the Bucs missed out on a guy that quietly made your team better – year in and year out.
I would love to get Alfred Collins at 53 this year. That might not be a grand slam but it would be a home run.
April 20th, 2025 at 12:12 pm
Who is he?
April 20th, 2025 at 12:21 pm
Nice film
April 20th, 2025 at 12:30 pm
@BA’s Red Pen Says:
Jesus. Happy Easter.
April 20th, 2025 at 1:07 pm
“– Pursues the ball well, never giving up on the play. He’ll reverse out to go and give chase, at times getting the stop.”
Plenty of examples of that in the tape.
I’ve been calling for us to draft a DL to back up/play alongside Vita early in the draft.
This guy might be the person. He looks exactly like what I have in mind when I make those calls.
Make it happen Jason!
April 20th, 2025 at 1:29 pm
He has Resin
Happy 420.
April 20th, 2025 at 1:50 pm
Nolen then Collins would be great.
April 20th, 2025 at 1:56 pm
I would LOVE Deone Walker in the 3rd. Being on the Bucs would really rejuvenate him and will do him A LOT of good playing alongside Vea and Kancey. He just needs to get on that same Vita Vea diet plan, & get himself in shape. He could be a HUGE ‘difference maker’ for this pash rush and defense overall, just being used ‘situationally’ during his first season (could be THE perfect eventual replacement for Vea)… 20-25 snaps per game, while keeping Vea and Kancey fresh. He’s BIG-TIME, when interested and in-shape.
April 20th, 2025 at 1:57 pm
“Sheds blocks like he’s pulling weeds”… good one.
April 20th, 2025 at 2:04 pm
He could be a STEAL. An absolute MONSTER. Dominated SEC Offensive-Lines, as a FRESHMAN. Could not be contained. Definitely not 1-on-1.
April 20th, 2025 at 2:08 pm
He just lost interest playing for a TERRIBLY undisciplined, horribly coached, underperforming Kentucky Team, that had MAJOR locker room issues.
April 20th, 2025 at 2:10 pm
And this is why you can afford to pass on the likes of Grant in the first rd and shoot for a future anchor talent like Campbell
April 20th, 2025 at 2:18 pm
Batted down passes. Yes please. That is an area of weakness for the d line of the Bucs historically
April 20th, 2025 at 2:25 pm
Defensive tackle Alfred Collins was seen wearing a walking boot on his left leg and did not participate in any drills during Texas’ Pro Day. A university spokesperson did not disclose the nature of the injury, and Collins did not address the media, so we’ll have to wait for further details on the situation. It’s important to mention this, just as we do with Jihad Campbell. Is he healthy enough to play this year? How serious is his injury? These are just a few of the questions that remain unanswered.
April 20th, 2025 at 2:27 pm
I don’t know why I’ve had to break this post up into FOUR ‘different’ parts in order to FINALLY, get it to go through!? But, I was going to add, that he was also, a potential ‘projected’ Top-10 Pick his Soph. season, before he lost his interest playing (for that PATHETIC UK-team), & was out of shape. He just didn’t have the ‘stamina’ during the 2nd-Half, after being ‘double and triple’ TEAMED for throughout the entire 1st-Half.
April 20th, 2025 at 2:38 pm
So weird. The reason my post would not send was because I had to use the abbreviation (Soph.) instead of spelling out the entire word. So, I guess, you cannot use the word Soph…omore!?:/ Just SO weird.
April 20th, 2025 at 3:14 pm
If we don’t trade up for Jalon Walker or for our top CB on the board, I’d prefer trading back for extra 2-4 round picks, for more bites at the apple, in order to grab a guy like Deone Walker, later in the 3rd. We’re in a decent spot either way! If, someone wants to get their QB around there in that range, or if someone wants to jump Denver for a RB… Ya never know. And, if Jalon Walker or your top CB slides to 13-14 picks, then you don’t have to trade up too far to get ‘em. It’s going to be so much fun to see what happens. This is one of the most unpredictable drafts that I can remember & NO ONE has even traded away the first pick yet! I believe I saw the other day, where EVERYONE still has their 1st-Round Picks. I can’t remember that ever happening this late in the game.
April 20th, 2025 at 3:57 pm
lol jmark
April 20th, 2025 at 4:34 pm
Laudate Deum a quo bona omnia!
A draft of ILB Campbell, DL Collins and S Mukuba with the other picks DBs and WR would be the best just because Campbell is such a rare talent.
The Bucs already may be in a better place at ILB than where they started last year. But, Campbell is a rare talent. Exce
April 20th, 2025 at 4:42 pm
The Bucs may already be in a better place at ILB than they were at the start of last season. But, David and Walker are not long term solutions, and I don’t see anyone of Campbell’s quality in next year’s draft. So, I hope the Bucs get him at 19.
The Bucs’ greatest need is Safety. If Campbell is gone at 19, ideally then Bucs move back and take S Xavier Watts first and maybe get enough draft capital to move up to take DT Tyleik Williams in the second while using the remaining picks for a coverage LB, DBs and WR.
April 20th, 2025 at 5:14 pm
Build the trenches. Trade back a few positions and get an extra 3rd rd pick. Get Edge and DT on the first 2 rounds before the drop off. There are very good ILBs, CBs and Safs vailable in the 3rd.
Ezeirusku – Edge in 1st
Collins – DT in 2nd
Winston Jr – S in 3rd
Bazza – ILB in 4th
Cobe Bryant – CB in 3rd
April 20th, 2025 at 5:57 pm
‘Joe likes big, physical dudes who are bullies up front and that’s what Collins is. The Bucs are one ornery defensive tackle away from being just like the Eagles with a ferocious interior on their defensive line.’
When it comes to giant DT/NTs, the Top-3 will be gone in Rnds 1-2 … Kenneth Grant (6’4″ & 331 lbs), Alfred Collins (6’6″ & 332 lbs) & Tyleik Williams (6’3″ & 334 lbs). Just want the Bucs to snag one of them.
April 20th, 2025 at 11:21 pm
ILB or DB
D-Line in mind rounds
They have VEA, CK, and Hall. Hall has been a stud at stuffing the run and has suddenly become a much better pass rusher as well. Throw in a vet back up, DT is not a priority in the first two rounds.
Besides, it is a deep draft at that position, they can pick one up in third or fourth round if they feel they need the depth
April 20th, 2025 at 11:42 pm
It would make me pleasurably thirsty if we got one of Grant, Collins, or Williams, and then got this beast later on…..again, if Jason picks him, we should be drinking in celebration.
If not, we should be drinking in celebration.
April 21st, 2025 at 2:02 am
Big Man! Maybe if Jason finds an extra pick somehow.
Go Bucs!
April 21st, 2025 at 7:41 am
Get whoever we need to free up Kancey and he will be a DPOY candidate if he stays healthy
April 21st, 2025 at 10:43 am
the dude doesn’t get pushed back (on the limited plays on the highlight reel).
is his game like Calais Campbell’s?