Alfred Collins, Texas: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report

Collins was a four-star recruit from Cedar Creek High School in Cedar Creek, Texas in the class of 2020

Texas Longhorns defensive tackle Alfred Collins is one of the most physically gifted prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. His production and on-field consistency haven’t matched his insane tools, but the arrow is pointing up as he nears the end of his best season to date.

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Alfred Collins, IDL Texas: 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Fifth-year senior defensive tackle from Bastrop, Texas

Background: Collins was a four-star recruit from Cedar Creek High School in Cedar Creek, Texas in the class of 2020. He was the No. 63 recruit according to 247Sports, No. 147 for Rivals, and No. 78 for On3.com. ESPN ranked him 52nd in the nation with an 85 grade out of 100. Collins amassed 253 total tackles, 74 tackles for loss, and 18 sacks in his final three high school seasons. As a senior, he totaled 86 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, eight sacks, three passes defensed, four forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries as Cedar Creek’s defense allowed just 17.4 points per game. Collins earned District 13-5A-II Defensive Lineman of the Year honors and was a First Team All-District 13-5A-II selection. Additionally, he earned Second Team 2019 Super Team honors. As a junior, he compiled 92 total tackles, 25 tackles for loss, six sacks, and two passes defensed on his way to earning District 13-5A-II Defensive Lineman of the Year, First Team All-District 13-5A-II, and 5A All-State honorable mention honors. Collins produced 75 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, four sacks, and three forced fumbles as a sophomore and earned First Team All-District 5A-19 honors. He earned an invitation to the 2020 All-American Bowl. Collins also participated in basketball, shot put, and discus in high school. According to MaxPreps, he averaged a double-double in points and rebounds as a sophomore and averaged double-digit points in his junior and senior seasons on the hardwood. His mother, Benita Pollard, played basketball at Texas from 1990-94.

Injuries & Off-Field: Missed 2022 Louisiana-Monroe game with fall camp injury

Awards: 2023 Honorable Mention All-Big 12

Pros: Rarely penalized, checks all the measurable boxes and then some, perfect NFL build, nice looseness in hips for an interior player, bursts out of his stance, impressive foot speed to quickly exchange gaps, speed and explosiveness help shoot gaps, quickness at his size pops, good suddenness and ferocity in rush moves, converts speed to power, two-armed bull rush, two-handed swipe, swim move, club-swim, rip move, club-rip, developing spin move, push-pull move, powerful arm extensions pry up guard’s pad level, dips inside shoulder to get below the guard’s hands, sets a reliable edge as a 5-tech, knee bend and wide base to anchor low vs. run, upper body power to shuck single blocks in the run game, long arms help with stacking, peaking and shedding blocks, push-pull to shed blocks in run game, frequently splits double teams, anticipates throws to get hands in passing lanes

Cons: Inconsistent pad level, doesn’t maximize arm length, imprecise hand usage, allows linemen into his frame too easily, inconsistent deployment of rush moves, absence of pass rush plan, pass rush moves lack polish, doesn’t pop as a pass rusher consistently, snatch traps catch him off balance, spin move is ineffective, some stiffness limiting bend, change of direction is good but not great, loses the leverage battle, doesn’t dominate one-on-one blocks to close gaps, doesn’t anchor at POA vs. double teams, lacks ideal speed in the open field, diving missed tackles too often, too many unfinished plays

Overview: Collins primarily aligns at 4-tech, 4i, and 3-tech for the Longhorns with limited snaps at 5-tech, 1-tech, and 0-tech. He has the physical tools to play anywhere along the defensive line when needed. This makes him a great chess piece. Last fall, Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy listed Collins’ verified measurables as 6-5 2/8, 307 lbs. with 35 1/4-inch arms. That build checks all of the league’s boxes, and Collins appears to have added some good weight for this season. He’s a uniquely loose and quick athlete for his size. Collins explodes out of his stance and uses his speed to exchange or shoot gaps. His pass rush moves display impressive suddenness and power. The Texas native’s pass rush plan includes converting speed to power, two-armed bull rushes, two-handed swipes, swims, club-swims, rips, club-rips, push-pulls, and a developmental spin move. He uses his long, powerful arms to pry up the guard’s pad level and win the leverage battle. He’ll also dip his inside shoulder under guards’ hands to slip punches. Unfortunately, Collins plays with an inconsistent pad level that allows offensive linemen into his frame. His imprecise hand usage fails to maximize his arm length and increases his struggles. Collins has a lot of pass rush moves in his arsenal, but he fails to build and execute a consistent pass rush plan. Many of his moves lack polish and only lead to stalemates with the offensive lineman. He falls victim to snatch-traps and suffers from some stiffness that prevents his bend from reaching elite thresholds. Collins frequently anticipates passing lanes and swats down throws at the line of scrimmage. He likely won’t provide starter-level production rushing the passer early in his NFL career and might never develop into a consistent threat in this area. In the run game, Collins bends his knees and deploys a wide base to anchor at the point of attack. He can’t anchor against double teams but often splits them to get opportunities for big plays in the backfield. The fifth-year prospect’s upper body power really stands out against the run. He doesn’t dominate one-on-one blocks as often as preferred, but the flashes of him effortlessly stacking and discarding blockers are as good as any film out there for a defensive tackle in this class. Collins’ long arms help him stack, peak, and shed, which opens the door to some two-gap potential. Outside of classic swims and swipes, Collins uses a push-pull to shed blocks against the run. His change of direction and pursuit speed limit his range, but he has the burst and tackle radius to make plays well outside of his frame. Diving missed tackles haunted Collins in past years, but he’s let fewer opportunities slip through his grasp in 2024.

Overall, Collins performs at the level of a Day 3 player, but his physical tools and flashes are top 100-caliber. He could improve his draft stock significantly by perfecting his pass rush plan and hand usage. Collins is an unpolished college veteran whose traits make him a viable rotational player early in his NFL career.

Role & Scheme Fit: 3-tech in an even front

Round Grade: Fourth Round

Size: 6'5", 320 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 09-17-24

Updated: 11-20-24