New York Giants Gain A Motivated Player In Landon Collins

Former Alabama Crimson Tide safety Landon Collins didn’t get to hear his name called on day one of the 2o15 NFL Draft but he didn’t have to wait long on day two to hear it.

The New York Giants started making plans for the trade last night to move up and grab him as soon as possible. For Collins, the Giants traded to the Titans their second-round selection (No. 40 overall), as well as their fourth-round pick (No. 108) and the second of their two seventh-round choices (No. 245).

I have a chip on my shoulder to prove I was a first-round candidate-Landon Collins

Collins was projected to go in the first round and from the sounds of it, he is going to do everything in his power to make teams that passed on him regret their decision. “I have a chip on my shoulder to prove I was a first-round candidate,” Collins said per a release on Giants.com. “Definitely, I’m very motivated. Yesterday was a disappointment for me missing out on the first round, but other than that, I’ll use it as a stepping stone and use it as motivation to showcase that I’m ready and ready to play and ready to step on the field and do what I’ve been doing since I was playing at four years old.”

Nov 22, 2014; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Landon Collins (26) carries the ball again the Western Carolina Catamounts at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Every NFL team knows when you draft a Saban coached player, you aren’t only gaining a player on the field but you are are gaining someone that has the mindset to succeed already drilled in to their brain. “Landon is the consummate football player,”vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross said per the same above release. “This guy is smart. He is tough. He is physical. He has carried himself like a pro since the day he got to Alabama. One of the best interviews at the Combine that we have had. This guy is going to bring an attitude and maturity, not only to our defensive backfield but to the whole defense. This guy will be a leader for us. He was that for Alabama and we think he can do the same thing for us.”

The Giants felt with their safety situation, they needed to do what they could to grab a good one. Collins handled getting the defense set and in the right position at Alabama. They got someone that can be used in a variety of ways, can cover sideline to sideline with the quickness, that can deliver a blow in the box when defending the run, and can cover receivers down the field. Some believed his occasional issues at pass coverage was the reason he dropped a bit in the draft but more times than not, he could make the plays. Motivation to prove others wrong can be one heck of a tool to improve your game.

“(It) couldn’t be a better situation for us, I’m sure, about how motivated this young man is,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “He will compete for a starting job. He is a smart guy. He has contributed at Alabama in many different ways, as a leader and as a guy in the secondary making the calls. We are excited about the pick.”

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