Miami Dolphins 2015 NFL Draft Prospect: La’el Collins

La’el Collins will be making an out of town visit to the Miami Dolphins this week according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.  The Dolphins are in need of offensive line help yet again and as of now are relying on a combination of Billy Turner and Dallas Thomas to man one if not both guard positions. To say that guard is a need is a considerable understatement but will Miami use a top 15 pick to draft one? If they do it could be Collins.

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NOTE:

The information on these players is provided by Ian Wharton of BigBoardDraft.com. Ian put out his first Big Board 2015 NFL Draft Guide that was released this week and with his permission I will be using his information to highlight these players. You can buy a copy of the draft guide, something I highly recommend, by going here. The price for the digital guide is $5.00 and has over 250 profiles of incoming draft prospects complete with rankings. This is a guide that even the biggest draftnik can use. Be sure to follow Ian on Twitter as well @NFLfilmstudy.

Collins is listed as a tackle entering the draft. He was an almost elite tackle at LSU and gave up a first round grade in 2014 to stay at LSU and get his degree. While he may be a tackle, in Miami he would move to guard and provide insurance to both right and left tackle positions where Branden Albert is coming off a knee injury.

It’s kind of hard to project how well Collins will do as a guard but Wharton has him ranked as the 2nd best tackle in this years draft. Behind only D.J. Humphries of Florida.

For starters LSU builds NFL talent so there is no reason to believe Collins won’t transfer well to the next level. As a senior Collins was a team captain and has a very high leadership ability both on and off the field and is mentally tough.

Athletically Collins rates an eight on Wharton’s scale. He is a power blocker with good balance and frame using his leverage well. Collins also has a strong anchor and still has the quickness to take on speed rushers but again, in Miami he will need to use that speed to pull from the guard position.

Wharton’s summary on La’el Collins:

He’s a good athlete on the field, but he really excels because of his natural frame, length and mindset. Not all offensive lineman are punchers, instead they neutralize pass rushers by pushing. Collins is likely to find success because he is the former. By keeping pass rushers at arm’s length away, he is taking them out of the game.

Why Collins is a good fit for the Dolphins:

Need is the number one reason this kid would fit. More importantly however is that he has all the tools, intelligence, and structure to be a very good and possibly elite lineman in the NFL. There is no question that Collins would improve an offensive line from day one. Ja’wuan James at RT, Billy Turner at RG, Mike Pouncey at center, Collins at right or left guard, and Branden Albert would give Miami an offensive line to rival their defensive line.

Why Collins is not a good fit for the Dolphins:

There really is not much reason for Collins not to be a Dolphin. He has all the intangibles that teams look for. He is not as experienced at guard as left tackle and may not want to transition to guard at the next level…at least not with teams needing left tackles. Really though, that is simply a stretch. There is little downside to his game.