New York Giants Draft Lead Profile: Texas DL Alfred Collins

Alfred Collins is currently projecting it as a two-down player with the potential to develop on all down players if they can smooth out the pass rush.

The former five-star recruit at Cedar Creek High School in Bastrop, Texas, was the state’s fifth player and the second strong defensive lineman during the 2020 recruitment cycle.

Collins was highly pursued as a recruit, playing all five seasons for the Longhorns, backing up the sweats of Byron Murphy III and T’Vondre until drafted in 2024.

Alfred Collins recorded 27 stops in 2024, and Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kuiatkowski trusted his nose tackle to occupy the A and B-Gaps from time to time. Collins was the second-team national in 2024 and the first team all-sec selection of the only season as a full-time starter.

Collins lined up the A-Gap 146 times in 2024. The B-gap has 129 tackles over 299 times, and only 19 on the outside of the tackle box. He is a versatile, strong, and extremely reliable run defender, and still learns how to play football.

Alfred Collins is an elite run defender with excellent play strength and fixed ability. He can easily absorb double teams with his solid ability to find space to split duo/combo, but he exhibits intelligence, instincts and hands to ease base, reach and down block.

Collins is a good run defender, but doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher. He is a rusher of trials that takes up space but fails to string or effectively counter movements.

His burches and power moves were modest and his excellent running instincts could not be translated into his pass-rush profile. Collins also lacks ideal exercise traits to maximize size and pass-rushing ability.

Still, Randefender is a sound, and hardly reliable as Alfred Collins does. He has become a quality two-day asset for the team.

Grade: 6.25