The Houston Texans selected Michigan wide receiver Nico Collins with their third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Collins was named the 2016 Alabama Sports Writers Association All-State First Team in his senior year at Clay-Chalkville High School on the outskirts of Birmingham. He received 20 offers, including ones from powerful schools like Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Florida – but he chose Michigan. “Primarily, if you’re recruited from Alabama, you go to Alabama,” Collins said, via AL.com. “But I saw it as an opportunity to be different, and I think that’s what I did. I felt like it was better for me.”
After a college career that included inconsistent quarterback play and passing disarray from a coaching perspective, it’s fair to wonder if Collins regrets this decision.
Either way, the old big prospect has the framework and the tools that translate to the next level. Michigan’s last receiving prospect who suffered from bad QB play and bad passing play was forgotten and lasted until the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. If you ask the Browns what ‘they now think of the selection of Donovan Peoples-Jones so late in Day 3, a rookie who had an immediate impact in Cleveland after Odell Beckham landed in IR, they could tell you it was their best choice of value overall. classify. Collins and Peoples-Jones are different types of prospects, but the right NFL team, with an offensive system that matches Nico’s skills, could be of significant value in April.
Collins has chosen not to participate in the 2020 season.
We break down everything you need to know about Collins from a Fantasy Manager’s perspective, including Top Fits, Dynasty Outlook, Measurables, Scout Report, Key Stats, and an NFL Comparison.
2021 Fantastic impact
Typically, we don’t expect an NFL draft pick late in the third round to return much fantasy value in the first year. However, that hasn’t always been the case in recent drafts, and the Texans wide receiver depth chart is wide open. The Texans return Brandin Cooks as their de facto No.1 option. They also return oft-injured veterans Randall Cobb and Keke Coutee. The latter two aren’t much of a threat to Collins in the long run, and it’s not inconceivable that he could skip them in Year One goals. Houston is still on the hunt for a real “X” receiver to replace DeAndre Hopkins at the Frontier and Collins profiles like that sort of prospect, but it’s gross and unlikely to get there in the first year.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the one that Collins will be grabbing passes for. With Deshaun Watson at QB, his value is very different from what it would be with the 2021 rookie pick in the Davis Mills draft or the acquisition of free agent Tyrod Taylor. If Houston’s passing game is as inept as it could be without Watson, Collins will be virtually worthless in the first year, although he can earn some starting shots. He’s more of a big catcher than someone to target in the PPR leagues.
Perspectives of the dynasty
The Dynasty community love the benefits of Collins with a 6-foot-4 frame, and that love grows after Collins showed up 15 pounds lighter to the Senior Bowl and had a good week against some of the top corners. I recently took part in a mock rookie draft where Collins left the board at the end of the third inning – it’s the highest I’ve seen him go so far. He won’t be going there every rookie draft, but he’ll usually be drafted.
Screening report
Strengths
- Massive frame and he uses it well to box defenders in challenging situations.
- One of WR’s longest athletes – a 7-foot-9 wingspan – and it shows in his game.
- Potential untapped due to poor QB play and ineffective passing play in Michigan.
- Excellent in challenging 50/50 ball situations.
- Can stack CBs and gain vertically on court despite being a “climb” speed athlete.
- Strong hands when stuck in the press cover.
- Excellent control of the body in the air and away from its frame to make difficult holds.
- Very physical as a receiver and uses his physicality well.
- Very strong hands at the point of capture and a natural hand catcher.
- Although not the most fluid athlete, he is effective on tilts and loops / returns.
- The projects pose an immediate red zone threat.
Concerns
- Lack of speed in a straight line.
- Not an explosive athlete off the line of scrimmage or across the board – does not create a separation with his or her athleticism.
- Not a very fluid or flexible athlete, compared to position.
- His footwork off the line of scrimmage needs work and often leaves him behind all eight balls in routes.
- Not an overly productive college receiver.
- Disabled the 2020 season.
- Seems like a bad choice for a quick West Coast attack based on his skill set.
Breakdown of statistics
* Collins has chosen not to participate in the 2020 season.
2019 | 12 | 37 | 729 | 7 | 19.7 | 0 |
Top 25 v 2019 | 6 | 19 | 314 | 1 | 16.5 | 0 |
2018 v top 25 | 5 | 20 | 363 | 2 | 18.2 | 0 |
Career | 27 | 78 | 1,388 | 13 | 17.8 | 0 |
Advanced statistics to know
- 19.7 yards per reception in 2019 in the 92nd percentile (by Player Profiler)
- 9.8% dropout rate (by Pro Football Focus)
- 52% contested catch rate (by PFF)
- Capture radius is in the 94th percentile among all WRs (per Player Profiler)
- Age of escape (19.5) in the 80th percentile (by Player Profiler)
NFL Comparison
Collins is a difficult player to find for an NFL roster as he looms somewhere between Laquon Treadwell and Michael Thomas (Saints), but he is closer to Treadwell on that scale. His lack of explosion and flexibility off the line of scrimmage might prevent him from creating a split and succeeding at the NFL level, but his bizarre catch radius, strong hands, and physicality make him a good fit in the red zone and in vertical orientation. misdemeanors. I’ll just compare Collins to a poor man’s Mike Williams (Chargers).