Jamie Collins

If Matt Patricia's affinity for former New England players isn't clear by now, it should be. Collins headlines a quarter of the former Patriots who signed with the Lions this offseason, and his impact should be felt instantly. He's not just the only Lions linebacker that can safely be projected for a three-down role in 2020, but Patricia could use Collins in pretty much every area from run support to pass coverage to pass rush. While triple-digit tackle numbers might be difficult to attain while playing alongside two other tackling machines in Jarrad Davis and Reggie Ragland, Collins also has upside in the pass breakup, sack and forced-fumble departments. Combined with his potential to log over 1,000 snaps in 2020, Collins seems slated for a productive season.

Collins established himself as one of the league's top defenders during his two and a half years in New England, posing an uncommon triple threat between run defense, pass rushing and coverage. The Browns traded for him during the 2016 season and saw generally good results, but the marriage ended after 2018. A season-ending MCL tear shortened his 2017 season and inconsistency plagued him a bit last year, leading Cleveland to cut Collins this offseason and clearing the way for the Patriots to scoop him back up. It remains to be seen how many snaps the Patriots have available at linebacker, but Collins is a freak athlete who only turned 29 in May, meaning it wouldn't be surprising if he immediately reestablished himself as New England's top linebacker. If he can hold off Dont'a Hightower and Elandon Roberts, Collins in that case should serve as a three-down player next to Kyle Van Noy.

Collins is coming off an MCL injury that ended his 2017 season in November, but all reports indicate he should be ready for training camp. The Browns signed the athletic linebacker to a $50 million contract extension last January, so big things are expected from the 28-year-old as the leader of Cleveland's defense. Over his 14 games in a Cleveland uniform, Collins has logged 100 tackles and three sacks, a rate of production that lands him on the IDP radar, when healthy.

Collins was a dominant defensive end in college and remains a dangerous pass rusher, but Cleveland used him more like an off-ball linebacker after acquiring him from New England last year. The latter is preferable for his IDP value because tackles are much more reliable than sacks. Collins' elite athleticism was on full display upon his arrival to Cleveland, and he finished his first eight games as a Brown with 69 tackles and two sacks. With a long history of production and safety-like athleticism at 6-3, 250, Collins should remain a force this season.

Collins is one of the NFL's most versatile and explosive talents, possessing the skill set to push for All-Pro status as either an off-ball linebacker or a defensive end. His role with the Patriots is a hybrid of the two, mostly working as a traditional 4-3 OLB while occasionally terrorizing quarterbacks off the edge. A mystery illness limited Collins to 778 snaps in 12 games, yet he had a fine season all the same, and he has no issues heading into 2016. Collins' 204 tackles and 9.5 sacks in his last 1,703 snaps would project to roughly 120 tackles and six sacks over a 1,000-snap season.

Collins' strong finish to his 2013 rookie season carried into last year as one of the league's top young linebackers. Big (6-3, 250) but extremely athletic, Collins not only excels at traditional linebacker tasks, but he's also a good edge rusher. Jerod Mayo's return from a season-ending knee injury could cost him tackles, but likely not enough to downgrade him.

Collins came to New England as an edge defender, but the Patriots turned the second-round pick into an effective all-around linebacker by the end of his rookie season. Playing roughly a quarter of New England's snaps, Collins finished with 43 tackles (24 solo). With Brandon Spikes gone to Buffalo, it would seem that Collins should approach or exceed triple-digit tackles. His pass-rushing skills should get a longer look this year too, as he posted 10 sacks during his final year at Southern Mississippi. Collins' upside might be a bit limited by the presences of Jerod Mayo and Dont'a Hightower, however.

Collins is an explosive athlete who could turn into a rushing threat off the edge. He'll need some polishing though and figures to back up Jerod Mayo out of the gate, though it's possible he could also factor in on sub packages as a pass-rushing DE.