Jaguars Draft: What Texas' NT Alfred Collins Brings To the Table

The Jacksonville Jaguars had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season, giving up the second-most yards per play (5.9) and EPA per rush (+0.03). While the run defense showed some improvement toward the end of the season, the Jaguars must add more talent to their defensive front, especially at nose tackle in Anthony Campanile's unit.

Even though Campanile has not specified the base defense, the likelihood they play in an odd front is high, meaning they must add a player who can handle the responsibilities of the zero and one techniques in the middle of the line. Thankfully, the NFL Draft features a deep crop of defensive linemen, including an intriguing group of nose tackles.

Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Alfred Collins is one of those players in a stacked defensive class. Currently a projected Round Two selection, Collins is a former five-star recruit who was a second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC in 2024, becoming a key cog for a Texas program that reached the College Football Playoff semifinal.

Let's take a look at Collins and what he could bring to the table for the Jaguars.

Strengths

The first thing that anyone will notice with Collins is his sheer size, length and power at 6-foot-5, 319 pounds. It's incredible to see how well he carries his weight as he is more raw muscle.

Collins has great quickness for his size and it pops up in run defense at the point of attack. His power is generated through his upper and lower half that allows him to anchor strongly at the point. The nimbleness he offers allows him to be effective in one and two-gap integrity assignments.

Texas' Alfred Collins is a fantastic run defender. Another name in an insanely deep IDL class pic.twitter.com/8fckKIPI8c
— Joe DeLeone (@joedeleone) February 15, 2025

At the point, Collins' hands are violent as he begins to make contact with opposing blockers and that violence and strength generates knockback to allow him to gain control almost immediately. This allows him to be a great gap-controller who can shed blocks consistently while being an affective blocker in higher gaps.

Collins offers good balance to take on double teams and the power to split them. As a pass rusher, he shows flashes of independent hands usage such as swipes and clubs along with a bull rush that has shown to be effective at collapsing the pocket.

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

Weaknesses

For a player his size, Collins doesn't offer the elite explosiveness that you may expect as it is modest, at best. This isn't a death blow in his evaluation but he may limit his opportunities on late downs. Speaking of this, he is still growing as a passer rusher and learning how to combine moves while having a secondary attack in his pocket.

Collins isn't an elite athlete with high-end bend in the hips to corner and dip around blockers. His hip tightness can cause him to stall in his rushes from time to time. Finally, due to his massive size, Collins will naturally have leverage and pad level issues that will expose his chest at the point of attack, especially when asked to get after the quarterback.

How Collins fits with the Jaguars

Jacksonville seems confident in the young duo of interior linemen they have defensively along with veteran Arik Armstead. However, they must add a true nose tackle to their unit and Collins fits what Campanile will likely ask for.

Collins projects well as an A or B gap defender as he continues to develop as a pass rusher. His incredible size and power make him a handful for one-on-one blocks and against double teams. Collis' wingspan makes him an adequate gap plugger in the run game, making him a fascinating option for teams that need to improve their run defense.

It hard to find a true one for one player comparison with Collins but his physical profile is similar to the one of Carolina Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown, who bolsters a similar body type at 6'5, 320 pounds. While he may not be the same player, Collins has room for growth to be a fun nose tackle at the next level.

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