Unpacking future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that the Green Bay Packers can choose from in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The Green Bay Packers ran defense took a step forward under first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafrey. This past season has given up 4 yards and 1,689 yards per carry, ranking seventh in the league.
If the Packers want to keep things shut down between tackles, the player they can target in the 2025 NFL Draft is Alfred Collins. Texas defensive tackle checks in at No. 29, unpacking future Packers countdown.
The Texas native, Collins recorded two tackles, one bag, one bystander, one intercept and one intercept during his first season on campus, knocking down three passes. In 2021, Collins recorded five tackles and two sacks. The following season he recorded three tackles and one bag. In 2023, Collins recorded two bags.
Over this past season, Collins has recorded a career-high career with 55 tackles and six tackles. The Texas defensive tackle also recorded one bag and knocked down seven passes.
“Collins was the anchor of one of the best run defenses in the nation just a year after losing two defensive tackles to the NFL Draft,” said in-Texas writer Evan Vito. “He led five deep defensive tackle groups with snaps and was huge in both A and B gaps. He claims he had the second impact on defense due to his ability to prioritize pass rushing on the front 7 and run to a team that prioritizes defensive backs that adore the ball at the back end.”
Collins is a well-received defensive lineman with interiors. He checked in at the combine at 6-6, 332 pounds with arms over 34 inches. He is a tank in the middle of the line and can shut down the running lane.
He has many powers flowing through those long arms. The previous 5-star recruit uses his length to assist in leverage at the time of the attack. He can throw away the blocker with the strength and strong hands of a bully. With his huge frame, he can withstand double teams. The Texas defensive tackle has lateral speed and lighter feet, sliding into the gap before starting and stopping the runplay. He has the range to make plays tackle and tackle. According to the Focus on Pro Football, he has recorded 27 run stops this past season. The team drafts him for his two-gap capabilities and keeps the linebacker clean.
“Collins is a huge player in the box, but it doesn’t look like he’s turning on the tape,” Vito said. “It’s because much of his weight is pure muscle, he’s lean enough to slip through the block shed and has sideways moving foot speed. He’s a smart kid of course, but his strength and foot speed are pretty ridiculous. So he was a five-star recruit.”
Colin has an incredibly quick first step, charging upfield with power. With his power, he can bring the offensive lineman back to the quarterback lap. When he can’t get home, he has the knack for pulling his long arm into a muddy passing lane (9 passes deflection over the past two seasons). He has recorded 23 pressures this past season and in 2023.
“When one passes strength, he’s in the way of batting his arm and batting, or obscuring the quarterback’s vision,” Vito said. “He can do bull rushing, but so does 330 pound NFL defensive tackle.”
Match it to Packers
The Packers will have to replace TJ Slaton, and with his size and ability to choke the running lane, Collins could be an ideal target.
Collins has a strong NFL-enabled frame. His trump card is his ability to keep linebackers like Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walker Clean in two gaps.
“If my one need was a pass rush, I wouldn’t draft him, but he’s a player like a player who has three contracts in the NFL,” Vieth said. “The three words are sturdy, athletic and smart. The NFL has slowly returned to the running game and evolved as a counter to the light box, so having a two-down defensive tackle that can blow up plays in one hand is becoming more and more valuable.”
Drafting a player like Collins may not be able to run fans to the Packers Pro Shop to buy his jersey this summer, but when the calendar defied November, he quickly became a fan favorite for his ability to do dirty work with the trench and shut down the running lane.
Collins is a plug and play two-down defender early in his career. Everything he offers as an interior pass rush is gravy. Collins could be located in the interior rotation of Green Bay due to his ability to oppose the run.
