New York Giants: 3 Big Things Landon Collins Pick

Apr 30, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Landon Collins (Alabama) and April Justin arrive on the gold carpet before the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

1. Why Did Collins Fall To Round 2?

When Collins stepped on to the NFL Draft’s gold carpet, I doubt he envisioned being undrafted on the first night of the draft. Few saw Collins dropping out of the top 25. He is after all, a special talent. I had Collins ranked 13 overall in this draft class on the official GMENHQ Big Board. So why did Collins wait until the second day of the draft?

When the Giants picked Ereck Flowers, that was the kiss of death to Collins and his draft stock. No team for the next ten picks needed a strong safety. Everyone assumed that if he made it to the 20th overall pick the Eagles would take him, as they needed help in the secondary. The Eagles than reached for USC receiver Nelson Agholor. When the Green Bay Packers shockingly selected Damarious Randle (SS, ASU), the dream of drafting Collins and Flowers became a realistic quest for Jerry Reese and company.

The Giants could have justified drafting Collins with the ninth overall pick, in fact my first mock draft had the Giants doing just that. I had Flowers rated as my 16th best player. Flowers has the physical tools to be dominant but he is a work in progress as a pass blocker. Collins is an NFL ready player that will have an immediate and dramatic impact. In the end the Giants had to choose between the two players. One has to wonder if Reese looked at other team’s needs and guessed that he could get Collins in the second round if he was lucky? If so, he was right.

Next: 2. What Impact Will Collins Have Right Away?