Zaven

Collins

The deal includes $11.25 million in guaranteed money. The former first-round pick has yet to fully live up to his No. 16 overall selection, with the timing of the extension hinting more at necessity than a true fit schematically. Arizona previously declined his fifth-year option but chose to extend him for two years the day after BJ Ojulari suffered a season-ending torn ACL injury. Either way, look for Collins to see his snap rate increase dramatically off the edge.

The former first-round linebacker heads into the final season of his rookie contract potentially playing for his next deal. Collins was once a fixture in the Cardinals’ defense but saw his snap rate almost cut in half in 2023, the first season with head coach Jonathan Gannon and his unique 3-4, shallow two-high scheme. Collins’ potential departure after the 2024 season could open up additional snaps for 2023 second-round linebacker BJ Ojulari.

Collins will miss Week 18 with a calf injury. His second NFL season ends with 100 total tackles, two sacks, and an interception. He will look to improve on those numbers and live up to his first-round hype next year.

The No. 16 overall pick went down in the first half and was ruled out after the break. Collins has been playing 30ish weekly snaps and mixing in for a few nice plays.

He was taken into custody late Sunday evening and released a short time later. There has been no comment from either the Cardinals or Collins, who could face disciplinary action from the league as a result of the arrest. As it stands, the No. 16 overall pick is still slated to start across from 2020 first-rounder Isaiah Simmons to open the year.

As is standard for first-round picks, the deal includes a fifth-year option for the Cardinals. Collins earned the Bronco Nagurski Award and Bednarik Award for his dominant final season at Tulsa. He is expected to take over Jordan Hicks’ starting job as the MIKE linebacker for Arizona. A speedy defender who can help in coverage and sit on running lanes, Collins will pair with Isaiah Simmons to give the Cardinals a freakishly athletic linebacking duo.

That means Collins will indeed be taking over the MIKE linebacker role from veteran Jordan Hicks, who has since requested a trade. The Bronco Nagurski and Bednarick Awards winner for his work in 2020, Collins profiles as a terrifying tackler with spider-quick reflexes when the ball is in his reach. Cardinals will enter 2021 with arguably the rangiest duo of inside linebackers in the entire league.

The team drafted Hicks’ replacement in LB Zaven Collins out of Tulsa. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said Hicks is “a respected leader” and the Cardinals “wants to do right by him.” Hicks took a $3 million pay cut and now will make $2 million base salary with a chance to make $1 million in 2021, Rapoport reports. He could stay with Arizona as a backup linebacker. Hicks, 28, led all Arizona linebackers with 12 QB pressures last year and was graded by Pro Football Focus as the 39th best linebacker in 2020.

Collins (6'5/259) went from a desert of a high school recruitment — 247Sports composite board’s No. 2,142 prep prospect — to the first half of the first round. Not too shabby. Collins earned the Bronco Nagurski Award and Bednarick Awards for his 2020 work, which included two pick-sixes, four total interceptions, 7.5 TFL and four sacks. All this in just eight games. Collins is a terrifying tackler with spider-quick reflexes when the ball is in his reach. At the next level, coaches will need to look out for over-aggressive tendencies, while his size limits his change-of-direction ability. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein did not see a player who was a natural off the edge.

Arizona holds the 16th overall pick in this month’s draft, and it’s likely that the three players they’re reportedly targeting (CBs Patrick Surtain Jr. and Jaycee Horn, and WR Jaylen Waddle) will already be off the board. Enter Collins (6'4/260), a highly productive linebacker who some analysts have questioned recently due to his weight. The reasons why Arizona could potentially make a run at Collins make sense when taking a look at the Cardinals’ roster. “With 31-year-old Chandler Jones entering the final year of his contract and 30-year-old Markus Golden signing a nominal two-year deal, Collins offers the Cardinals’ defense immediate pass-rush help,” Pauline wrote. “Additionally, he provides protection for the future as both veterans finish their careers. Collins is a terrific fit for the Cardinals’ system and, according to my board, is one of the more underrated defenders in this year’s draft.”