Can Jed-Zilla Make it in the NFL?

In a very slow time for football news, there is a small blurb about Jed-Zilla. Jed Collins will play in the East-West Shrine game this year where old Jed can display his self-proclaimed 5+ 40-time for NFL scouts. But seriously, is Collins a true NFL propsect?

Believe it or not, Collins is in fact on the NFL draft radar. I know it’s early for mock drafts and stuff like that. But a search found this profile of Collins at something called NFL Draft Scout. But the different thing here is that Collins is actually scouted as an NFL fullback, and not at TE where he set a WSU receiving record with 52 balls in ’07. But when you really think about it? Collins projects much better at fullback than tight end at the next level. In fact, right now he’s regarded as the #5 fullback in the upcoming NFL draft! But why is he more fullback than tight-end?

Well, for one thing, have YA SEEN NFL tight ends these days? These cats are gigantic, plus almost all of them run like NFL WR’s. Collins checked in at a pro day measurement at nearly 6-2, and weighing 254 lbs. He also reportedly has clocked a 4.88. Not bad for the Pac-10, in fact that’s pretty slow, but on the next level? No WAY will that fly as an NFL tight-end. But at fullback? Absolutely.

If you’ve watched Collins much over the years, you know first and foremost that he’s what coaches love to call a “football player”. He’s the tough kind of kid that will put his head down and try to run through you vs. running out of bounds or falling down to protect himself. He leaves it all on the field, every Saturday. You appreciate that as a fan, that he’s giving everything he has for his school, and it’s a great thing to watch. But he’s also one hell of a lead blocker on running plays, and you can see why he’s regarded as a top-5 fullback prospect.

I still recall the UCLA game this year, and watching Collins time and again motion across the line before the snap, only to shoot back across and act as a lead blocker on a trap or a kick-out run on a counter play. UCLA came into that game as the top rushing defense in the conference, but Dwight Tardy gashed them for over 200 yards that day. Tardy is a pretty good back who has a bright future if he can stay healthy, but the O-line, and particularly COLLINS, was the story that day.

And in today’s NFL, if you are a fullback and, oh yeah, you can catch the ball a little bit out of the backfield? You have a very bright future. It’s easy to picture Collins as a New England Patriot, you know, the kind of smart, scrappy, team-first player that Bill Belichick absolutely covets. Collins would fit like a glove on that team. He’s be a big upgrade over Heath Evans. Or even a team like the Seahawks, where Tim Ruskell talks to janitors and lunch-ladies about the kind of character in potential draft picks. Collins could be an excellent west-coast offense fullback.

WSU Football Blog wholeheartedly endorses Jed Collins, NFL fullback! Good luck Jed-Zilla, and thanks for leaving it all on the Martin Stadium turf every Saturday.