2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Tulsa Linebacker Zaven Collins

Zaven Collins didn’t play at one of the big-time Power 5 conference football programs, but the Tulsa linebacker has a lot of attractive skills. He’ll thus be considered by teams in the late first or early second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Let’s take a closer look at the former Golden Hurricanes linebacker as he embarks on the next chapter of his football career.

2021 NFL Draft Prospect Zaven Collins’ Profile

--Height: 6’4”

--Weight: 260 pounds

--Position: Linebacker

--School: Tulsa

2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Zaven Collins’ Strengths

Tulsa LB Zaven Collins(Number 23)

Around the NFL Draft, terms like 'motor' and 'effort' are often thrown around consistently when analyzing potential prospects. But those are two traits teams will not have to question when it comes to Zaven Collins.

Even if he’s not initially in the right position or is being occupied by a blocker, he has a commitment to playing through the whistle. Collins is skilled at being able to chase down runners on the opposite side of where he initially lined up, which is encouraging range for a linebacker coming into the league.

.@ZavenCollins and @MicahhParsons11 are two of @BuckyBrooks' top LB prospects 💪Which teams are the best fits for them? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Ypvdpfze1Y

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) April 12, 2021

Collins is also a very intelligent and unselfish player. He’s not opposed to taking on blockers so that other players can swoop in and make a play. Collins also has a great awareness to read the quarterback and anticipate where he might deliver the football. It allows him to serve as a de facto member of the secondary, in addition to his front seven responsibilities. Collins had 4 interceptions last year for Tulsa to that end.

2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Zaven Collins’ Weaknesses

Despite his impressive size, Collins is not really considered to be a legitimate pass rushing prospect. He’s more of a run-stopping and coverage player, but he could get more out of his frame by improving his ability to get to the quarterback. Collins totaled only 7.5 sacks in his entire college career, and NFL teams might hope for a little more production in that department.

Zaven Collins doesn’t really have too many other glaring weaknesses, but one minimal criticism of his game is that he doesn’t always play with enough fury. While he is willing to do the little things to help his team win games, he could be even more of a threat with a mean streak that would intimidate opposing offenses.

2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Zaven Collins’ Career At Tulsa

Zaven Collins had one of the more well-rounded college careers of any player in the 2021 NFL Draft. He started at Tulsa from day one, and had a really impressive three-year run for the team.

As a freshman, the 21-year-old tallied 85 combined tackles, and followed that up with 97 total tackles as a sophomore. While his tackle numbers dipped slightly as a junior, Collins’ ability to force turnovers was on full display. In addition to his 4 interceptions, he also forced two fumbles, and recovered another.

Lucky hat pic.twitter.com/lzaMH8JcMK

— Sam Laz (@sammylazzz_) April 2, 2021

The level of competition Collins faced in the American Athletic Conference was not consistently as tough as the one faced by some other prospects who played in the Big 10 or SEC.

However, Collins did have a big game against a good SMU team this season. In that contest, he recorded 2 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, and 1 interception. NFL teams hope that Collins will be able to tackle players with a much higher skill-set next year.

2021 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Zaven Collins’ Career Defensive Stats

--Combined Tackles: 236

--Tackles For Loss: 25

--Sacks: 7.5