Pachyderm_Wave
Hartselle Tigers (15-0) 5-A State Champ
I don't think I'd agree that Landon Collins is better than Mark Barron or Clinton-Dix. He certainly hasn't been better than they were for Alabama.
He's a good prospect, but he doesn't have the range on the back end, or diagnose plays as quickly as Clinton-Dix. Not the physical enforcer or have the instincts for coming up with the big turnover in big games that Mark Barron had. To be fair, he's being asked to be more versatile than either one of these others were because of the revolving door and lack of talent at the other safety position that Barron and Clinton-Dix didn't have to deal with. Not to mention the difference in the quality of CB's versus this Bama defense and the one's in years past.
He's being asked to do more, but I think he's being asked to do too much. He's good, but he's not that good.
Definitely not the best safety to come out since Eric Berry or Earl Thomas. He's not in their class. Both of those guys had the speed, hips, flexibility, quickness, and ball skills to line up in the slot or at the CB position and cover WR's man-to-man. In addition to range in zone and being exceptional tacklers. Collins doesn't, which was exposed time and time again this past Saturday against Ole Miss. It's actually been exposed before but didn't result in anything but an incompletion because the QB missed the throw or the receiver dropped it.
Landon Collins is a fine safety and should do well in the pros in certain coverages. However, in terms of safeties that have played here for Alabama under Saban, he'd probably be in the mix for 3rd/4th on my list of kids I'd take. I'd take Rashad Johnson and Barron over him for Alabama. He'd be in a close tie with Clinton-Dix and Vinny Sunseri.
Top 10-12 in the draft is a little excessive for me. There's other safeties I'd rather have a little later if that's the case.
He's a good prospect, but he doesn't have the range on the back end, or diagnose plays as quickly as Clinton-Dix. Not the physical enforcer or have the instincts for coming up with the big turnover in big games that Mark Barron had. To be fair, he's being asked to be more versatile than either one of these others were because of the revolving door and lack of talent at the other safety position that Barron and Clinton-Dix didn't have to deal with. Not to mention the difference in the quality of CB's versus this Bama defense and the one's in years past.
He's being asked to do more, but I think he's being asked to do too much. He's good, but he's not that good.
Definitely not the best safety to come out since Eric Berry or Earl Thomas. He's not in their class. Both of those guys had the speed, hips, flexibility, quickness, and ball skills to line up in the slot or at the CB position and cover WR's man-to-man. In addition to range in zone and being exceptional tacklers. Collins doesn't, which was exposed time and time again this past Saturday against Ole Miss. It's actually been exposed before but didn't result in anything but an incompletion because the QB missed the throw or the receiver dropped it.
Landon Collins is a fine safety and should do well in the pros in certain coverages. However, in terms of safeties that have played here for Alabama under Saban, he'd probably be in the mix for 3rd/4th on my list of kids I'd take. I'd take Rashad Johnson and Barron over him for Alabama. He'd be in a close tie with Clinton-Dix and Vinny Sunseri.
Top 10-12 in the draft is a little excessive for me. There's other safeties I'd rather have a little later if that's the case.