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Report: Alabama’s Cooper, Yeldon, Collins to enter draft
Alabama junior receiver Amari Cooper, junior running back T.J. Yeldon and junior safety Landon Collins are among the latest players to enter the 2015 NFL Draft, according to reports Thursday.
Cooper is ranked as the No. 5 overall prospect and the top wide receiver by NFLDraftScout.com. The All-American finished the 2014 season with 124 catches for 1,727 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Yeldon rushed for 932 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this year, falling short of his third straight 1,000-yard season. He is ranked as No. 7 running back and the No. 70 overall prospect by NFLDraftScout.com.
According to a report by Yahoo Sports, Collins and Mississippi State linebacker Benardrick McKinney will bypass their senior seasons to enter the draft. Both are projected first round picks by NFLDraftScout.com.
Widely regarded the top safety in the draft, Collins was the defensive MVP for the Crimson Tide this season, seeing time at both free and strong safety, as well as weakside linebacker at times. He has experience in man and zone coverage, playing both single high and in the box, but is a much better run defender at this point than in pass coverage. Collins is a missile downhill with terrific wrap-up tackling skills to strike through his target and finish. However, he needs to improve his recognition skills and anticipation in coverage, something that was exposed at times in 2014.
There is a strong chance that Collins is the only safety in the upcoming class who will hear his name called in the first round. This past season he led the Crimson Tide in tackles (103) and interceptions (3), adding 10 passes defended and 4.5 tackles for loss.
McKinney is NFLDraftScout.com’s No. 1 ranked inside linebacker for the 2015 draft class and the 24th ranked player overall. He finished the 2014 season with a team-best 71 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, three sacks and four passes defended.
Although he’s not an elite burst/speed player, McKinney moves well for his size with flexibility and natural bend to work around blockers. He is one of the strongest and most physical tacklers in this draft class and prefers it when he can battle the big bodies inside.
The question for McKinney is can he hold up in coverage? He struggles at times in space and lacks ideal range, which limits his ability as a pass defender. The instincts are there, but he might not be more than a two-down thumper in the NFL.
Both Collins and McKinney have first–round traits, especially as athletic and stout run defenders. But their ability to hold up in coverage is what concerns pro scouts as they make the jump to the NFL.
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