The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects who the Green Bay Packers could select in the 2025 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers’ run defense took a step forward under first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. This past season they gave up four yards per carry and 1,689 yards, which ranked seventh in the league.
If the Packers want to continue to shut things down between the tackles, a player they could target in the 2025 NFL Draft is Alfred Collins. The Texas defensive tackle checks in at No. 29 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.
A native of Texas, Collins recorded two tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and knocked down three passes during his first season on campus. In 2021, Collins recorded five tackles for loss and two sacks. The following season he recorded three tackles for loss and one sack. In 2023, Collins recorded two sacks.
This past season, Collins recorded a career high of 55 tackles and six tackles for loss. The Texas defensive tackle also recorded one sack and knocked down seven passes.
“Collins was the anchor of one of the nation’s best run defense just one year after losing two defensive tackles to the NFL draft,” Evan Vieth, a writer for Inside Texas, said. “He led a five-deep defensive tackle group in snaps and was a huge body in both the A and B gaps. I’d argue he was the second most impactful on the defense because of his ability to stuff the run on a team that prioritized pass rushers in the front seven and ball-playing defensive backs on the back end.”
Collins is a well-put-together interior defensive lineman. He checked in at the combine at 6-6, 332 pounds, with over 34-inch arms. He’s a tank in the middle of the line and is able to shut down running lanes.
He has a lot of power flowing through those long arms. The former five-star recruit uses his length to help him out-leverage at the point of attack. He’s able to discard blockers with his bully strength and strong hands. With his massive frame, he’s able to bear down against double teams. The Texas defensive tackle has the lateral quickness and nimble feet to slither into gaps and stop run plays before they can get started. He has the range to make plays tackle-to-tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, he recorded 27 run stops this past season. A team will draft him for his ability to two-gap and keep linebackers clean.
“Collins is a giant player in the box but it doesn’t look like it you turn on the tape,” Vieth said. “It’s because a lot of his weight is pure muscle, so he is lean enough to slither through block sheds and has the foot speed to move laterally. He’s a smart kid of course, but his strength and foot speed are pretty absurd. It’s why he was a five-star recruit.”
Collin has a surprisingly quick first step and charges upfield with power. With his strength, he can walk offensive lineman back into the quarterback’s lap. When he is unable to get home, he has a knack for getting his long arms up to muddy up passing lanes (nine pass deflections over the past two seasons). He recorded 18 pressures this past season and 23 in 2023.
“If there’s one passing down strength, he has it’s getting his arms in the way of passes and batting them down, or obscuring the quarterback’s vision,” Vieth said. “He can bull rush, but so can any 330-pound NFL defensive tackles.”
Fit with the Packers
The Packers need to replace TJ Slaton and with his size and ability to clog up running lanes, Collins could be an ideal target.
Collins has a powerful, NFL-ready frame. His trump card is his ability to two-gap and keep linebackers like Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walker clean.
“I wouldn’t draft him if my No. 1 need was a pass rusher, but he is the kind of player that plays into three contracts in the NFL,” Vieth said. “Sturdy, athletic and smart are the three words that come to mind. The NFL is slowly evolving back into the running game as a counter to lighter boxes, so having a two-down defensive tackle who can single-handedly blow up plays is becoming more and more valuable.”
Drafting a player like Collins may not have fans running to the Packers Pro Shop to buy his jersey this summer, but when the calendar flips to November, he’d quickly become a fan favorite for his ability to do the dirty work in the trenches and shut down running lanes.
Collins is a plug-and-play two-down defender early in his career. Anything he offers as an interior pass rusher would be gravy. With his ability to muddy things up against the run, Collins could have a place in Green Bay’s interior rotation.
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