this is what I think of with comments about how collins should outplay simmons. simmons has been here a year and knows a lot more about the system and is super talented, not some chump. I hope they both crush it but either guy could be better than the other guy and thats okay. We cannot predict what will happen but the odds are that simmons should have a big jump and collins should be swimming a bit at first.
It's a fair comment. I do see it a little differently though.
The problem for me is that Simmons is still learning to play ILB. Collins already know's how to play ILB. Simmons has a jump on the scheme, but it's like trying to load Pong on a toaster. Collins instincts are already there that Simmons doesn't have due to many less snaps at that position.
Football Outsiders summed it up well for me in their article on Collins.
"A common issue with late linebacker converts such as Collins is that they often struggle to adjust to the confines of playing in the box. At linebacker, a player has to see and react to a ton of stimuli with limited vision and space to work with. It is not like playing safety, where a player gets to see things from depth and play from more advantageous angles. In turn, most desirable late-conversion linebacker prospects (or NFL players) have to be exceptionally fast for the position and rely on their speed to fix their other issues. That is far from the case with Collins."
Everyone should read this article.
https://www.footballoutsiders.com/futures/2021/futures-tulsa-lb-zaven-collins
I started a thread last year arguing how Simmons was a safety, not a linebacker for exactly the reasons covered in this article. When watching Simmon's he had none (really none at all) of the instincts to play ILB in the box. He looked great from safety with more space and time to see what's happening and with his speed and better angles from safety he could then close down quickly.
When I watched Collins it wasn't his size and athleticism that stood out for me, although they are impressive, it was his instincts and mental processing. He has all the instincts for the position that Simmons was missing last year and I still think will be missing this year considering so few live reps at the position. Of the 337 snaps he played last year, only around 225 were at ILB.
For me, this is a much bigger part of being a good ILB than how fast your 40 times is. It's what makes Darius Leonard who runs 4.73 and has a below average athletic profile such a good LB.
If I had to put money on who had the better year this year I'd put it on Collins. It could still be Simmons, but it really depends how much work he's putting in right now into learning the position and improving his instinct. And it may well be the Collins pick spurs him on, with him not wanting the new boy to come in and outperform him.
