2013 NFL Draft: Pats Draft Jamie Collins

November 3, 2012; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; Southern Miss Golden Eagles defensive lineman Jamie Collins (8) celebrates after sacking the UAB Blazers quarterback during their game at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook – USA TODAY Sports

The Pats have done it again. With their first pick of this draft they took somebody that nobody in the world knew about. Jamie Collins. Who? Anyway I have looked him up and watched a little bit of him since the Pats made the pick and I have come away impressed from what I have seen.

Collins is an athlete. Lets get that out there, he ran a 4.64 40 time and he is 6’3 and 250 pounds. That is very impressive. He is very quick off of the ball and he has definitely shown the ability to rush the passer in the NFL. That quickness is what I really like about him. He is a big guy and when big guys can move like he can they can really make an impact. Collins finished 2012 with 10 sacks, that is pretty good for a guy most people have never heard of. Sure, he was playing at Southern Mississippi  which is not a very good football school, but anytime a player gets a double digit sack season at the college level, it is very impressive.

One reason why this move was a bit questionable for New England was because outside pass rusher is not one of the biggest needs. The Pats have Chandler Jones, Rob Ninkovich, Jermaine Cunnigham, and Justin Francis available on the edge. They are pretty loaded with talent at that position. However, the more the merrier applies to football as well, and the more edge rushers you can get, the more effective they will be. The Pats can form a rotation of some sort if they choose to keep everybody fresh or they can form a look where they have edge guys on the inside and get a lot of mismatches there.

I was disappointing in this pick, but hey that is how the Patriots generally do things. I would have gone with a different position, one that is of much more need right now for them. But the Patriots know how to do things and I have confidence in the guy that has gotten the Pats to five Super Bowls over the last 11 years. ‘Patriots Nation’ trusts Bill and I do too.