Zaven Collins wasn’t a consensus pick, originally unpopular with fans
Draft Night 2021 was quite interesting.
It wasn’t exactly clear who or what position the Arizona Cardinals were going to draft. At the time, the team needed another cornerback, offensive linemen, and another wide receiver weapon to add to Murray’s arsenal. There was talent at those positions but on draft night they started to fly off the board. At that point, it would seem like the best move would have been to trade back for more draft capital. With the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected linebacker, Zaven Collins.
Look, it’s like wanting an Xbox for Christmas and getting socks. Perhaps it’ll work. Now that I’m an adult I do enjoy a good pair of socks. 🤔
— La Jackie ☀️🐍 (@jsandiegoo) April 30, 2021
The pick seemed to have stunned fans, myself included. The year prior the Cardinals selected linebacker Isaiah Simmons with the 8th overall pick. Simmons got minimal playing time in his rookie year and the same was to be expected with Collins.
The outrage amongst fans was drafting another linebacker in the first round in back-to-back years when there were other positions of need. The other issue is that the Cardinals have a track record of drafting guys, playing them out of position, then moving on from them once their rookie contract is up. Despite all of this the Cardinals did what they felt was right and drafted the best player available.
Zaven Collins is coming into his own
Being drafted 16th overall comes with high expectations. The expectations become even higher when the team that picked you didn’t necessarily need you but they didn’t want to pass up a good talent. “Best player available” set a lot of very high expectations.
Before fans saw him play Collins was already catching criticism for getting arrested in Scottsdale for speeding. General manager Steve Keim said in a press conference that Collins will be the day one starter. That did not go as planned as Collins hardly played his rookie year, instead he sat behind Jordan Hicks. When Collins was playing, there was no indication that he was gonna be anything spectacular. The Cardinals ended up not retaining Hicks after the 2021 season and now all eyes were on Zaven as he would be starting in his sophomore season.
Now that he’s a starter, Zaven has been flying all over the field. Thus far, Collins has been racking up 46 solo tackles, a pair of sacks, and even a pick-six. He has been effective against the run and has been able to get stops behind the line of scrimmage. While these aren’t pro bowl numbers, it is a sign that Collins is trending upward. Collins is still young and learning, but his future in Arizona looks promising. If he continues to play the way he has, he can scrub the “bust” label off of himself. The only glimmer of positivity that fans can hang their hats on this season is seeing guys like Zaven Collins become impactful.
