Here are five reasons why New England Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins will earn Defensive Player of the Year honors this upcoming season:
5. Seven forced fumbles
Last year, despite missing one-fourth of the regular season, Collins led the entire NFL with five forced fumbles. The 250-pound clearly has a knack for finding the football regardless of whether it’s a quarterback, running back, wide receiver or tight end carrying it.
Collins will match his 2015 total of five forced fumbles and then add another two for a grand total of seven forced fumbles. That’s unreal production, and it will draw the attention of the greater NFL community.
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At the beginning of last season, Collins recorded a forced fumble in three straight games spanning from Week 2 through Week 5 (remember, the Pats had that terrible Week 4 bye last year). Look for another hot start out of the gate for the fourth-year pro as he registers three of his seven total forced fumbles in the month of September.
Collins will also nab his share of loose fumbles; let’s call it three fumble recoveries, two more than his 2015 figure.
Next: 4. Excellent pass coverage and 4 INTs