2015 NFL Mock Draft: Is LSU CB Jalen Collins Right for the Seahawks?

The first round of the 2015 NFL Draft is being held on April 30th in Chicago and is now just 66 days away. We’ve turned our attention towards the NFL’s scouting combine in Indianapolis and this years draft since the end of the season.

Keith Myers has given us our first Seattle Seahawks seven round mock draft and has also stated that the cornerback position will be a huge need with the likely Byron Maxwell departure and the injury news regarding Jeremy Lane.

So now we turn to what others think of the Seahawks’ potential draft choices.

SB Nation has made a somewhat bold prediction with their recent mock as they have the Seahawks taking LSU cornerback Jalen Collins at the end of the first round, 31st overall.

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Collins was advised by the NFL’s Draft Advisory Board to go back to school for his senior season. Collins rejected that idea and quickly became one of the top prospects at the position.

Only Michigan State’s Trae Waynes and University of Washington’s Marcus Peters are rated higher among most draft experts. Kevin Johnson of Wake Forest is also in talks of being one of the top cornerback talents available this year.

Collins measures in at 6-foot-1 and 203 pounds. He certainly has the size that the Seahawks coaching staff demands of their corners. After running a 4.48 40-yard dash at the combine, which is solid for his size, there is reason to believe that Collins could move into the end of the first round of the draft.

The biggest negatives that I’ve found on Collins thus far have been his lack of starting experience, he’s only started ten games for LSU, and his reliance on physical abilities rather than technique.

Knocking someone for having the tools to rely on their natural ability seems petty, when technique is something that can and will be taught at the highest level by the best coaches. The Seahawks have shown the willingness to draft players with raw talent in hopes of developing them further. See Bruce Irvin in 2012 as a prime example.

It’s also very possible that the Seahawks ignore the cornerback position altogether in the early part of the draft.

Former Seahawks Walter Thurmond Jr. is a free agent this offseason and having only been absent for one year, could be a very likely acquisition considering his value on the open market is sure to be low after missing the 2014 season with an injury.

Inserting Thurmond in his role as the starting corner opposite Richard Sherman would solve one major issue the Seahawks have this offseason and would allow the team to focus early picks on other areas in the NFL draft, such as improving the offense at wide receiver, tight end, or the offensive line.

Let’s assume that the Seahawks do end up filling their need for help in the secondary and select Jalen Collins in the first round.

What would you think of the Jalen Collins pick?

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