Seahawks rivals: What Cardinals picking Zaven Collins means for Seattle
A beefy, quick, linebacker from Tulsa, Zaven Collins will bulk up the Cardinals defense in 2021 and beyond. I find this selection very similar to the Cardinals’ selection of Isaiah Simmons in the 1st round last year and Simmons was a problem for the Seahawks.
This team thinks their offense can be explosive enough and that their offensive line can hold up, so they target an impressive defensive presence to play alongside Simmons. He’s impressive physically, standing 6’5″ and weighing 259 pounds. He’s not extremely fast long distance, running a 4.67 second 40 yard dash, but in the short area he’s exceptionally fast.
As a Seahawks fan, Collins is definitely not a player I’m scared of playing against in 2021. He will no doubt make it more difficult to run the ball up the middle and to the outside, which will no doubt put a small dent in the possible Shane Waldron offensive scheme of the Seahawks’ offense in 2021.
Zaven Collins could be a problem for Seahawks in the future, though
However, he supposedly doesn’t excel at rushing the passer or getting into the backfield off the edge. He plays more as a middle of the field backer, and is fairly good in coverage.
Had the Cardinals been able to get their hands on Jaycee Horn or had opted to draft Caleb Farley, I would have been a bit more concerned from the Seahawks point of view. No doubt that Arizona got their hands on an absolute defensive weapon, but I believe he won’t be the absolute best at combatting the Seahawks’ 2021 offense. I also think he may take a year to fully develop into what he can be.
Our final Seahawks mock draft of 2021. dark. Next
So yes, the Cardinals made a great pick for their defense overall. However, I don’t think Zaven Collins will be a game wrecker against the Seahawks and the other NFC West teams. I just think he’ll be a solid presence in the middle of the field for the Cardinals for many years to come.