Overview
Position: Edge defender
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 283 pounds
School: TCU Horned Frogs
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.91 seconds
Bench press: 25 reps
Vertical jump: 30 inches
Broad jump: 9 feet, 10 inches
Three-cone drill: 7.71 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.78 seconds (fourth-best among defensive linemen)
L.J. Collier 2019 NFL Draft Profile
The state of Texas is consistently a hotbed of top high school talent and included among the prospects in the 2014 recruiting class was L.J. Collier. The Munday, TX native played on both sides of the ball as a defensive lineman as well as a tight end in high school. As a senior, he was named the District 8-A defensive MVP and also received first-team all-state recognition for his work on offense. Despite those exploits, Collier was lightly recruited with TCU the only FBS school to offer him a scholarship.
After redshirting, Collier found it difficult to break into the starting lineup over the course of his first three seasons with the Horned Frogs. He made just four appearances as a redshirt freshman and even though he didn’t start once as a sophomore or junior, he was a regular contributor. That’s fairly apparent considering he combined for eight sacks and nine tackles for loss in that time.
Collier truly came into his own in 2018, though. He finally emerged as a starter on the TCU defensive front and made the most of the opportunity. He registered six sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss and led all Horned Frog defensive linemen with four pass breakups. He garnered first-team honors from the Big XII’s coaches and received the highest player grade among the league’s edge rushers from Pro Football Focus. He later turned heads as one of the standout players of the Senior Bowl.
Strengths
- an impressive, bulky frame with ideal arm length;
- always fighting with violent, active hands at the point of attack;
- loves to compete and brings an aggressive demeanor on every play;
- solid read and react skills when defending the run;
- film suggests he has value as a two-gap defender;
- has a nice outside-in move that’ll have tackles biting to the perimeter;
- noticeable play strength which he utilizes in his bull rush;
- showed a knack for disrupting pass plays by batting balls down as a senior;
- a relentless player who brings a high motor.
Weaknesses
- only contributed as a starter during his senior season at TCU;
- initial burst post-snap isn’t particularly eye-popping;
- change of direction athleticism is a tad clunky;
- lacks lower-body athleticism which inhibits his ability to bend the edge;
- tends to leave potential negative plays on the field due to inconsistent wrap-up ability;
- might be limited to run-stuffing duty.
NFL Comparison: Jeremiah Ledbetter
Teams With Need at Position: Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins
Projection: Fourth to fifth round
Bottom Line
Collier flashed starting-caliber potential during his final season with TCU and later at the Senior Bowl. He brings a great deal of toughness and isn’t afraid to mix things up in the trenches. He also excels as a run defender and consistently plugs gaps as a means towards neutralizing the opponent’s rushing attack. And he doesn’t necessarily need to get to the quarterback to be effective in pass defense as he’s always trying to get his hands up and knock balls to the ground.
Some of the deficiencies associated with Collier stem from issues related to initial burst and lateral athleticism. He’s not the most fluid mover and he lacks knee bend which makes it difficult for him to be impactful turning the corner against skilled tackles. It means that he’ll mostly have to win with raw power as a pass rusher which won’t work all the time against the maulers at the next level. For that reason, Collier’s every-down value is a bit limited.
But there’s much to suggest that Collier can develop into a regular starter in time. His ideal role seems to be that of a defender who can come in on early downs and get the opponent off-schedule from a down and distance standpoint by stuffing the run. Look for him to be off the board early on day three of the draft.
