Dallas Cowboys: Why you shouldn’t sleep on Maliek Collins
By Jimmy Long
The Dallas Cowboys have one of the most underrated defensive lineman in the NFL, and Maliek Collins is not a player to be slept on.
The Dallas Cowboys have clearly been making an effort in recent years to revamp their pass rush. Ever since the departure of DeMarcus Ware before the 2014 season, Dallas has lacked a dominant lineman capable of putting up 10+ sacks per season.
However, that could all change in 2017. The Cowboys added Taco Charlton at defensive end in the 2017 draft. David Irving should to take the next step in his development. DeMarcus Lawrence and Benson Mayowa should both throw in a few sacks each. And, the Dallas Cowboys will welcome Charles Tapper into the defensive line rotation. Tapper missed the entire 2016 season due to injury.
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With all that said, Maliek Collins will be the key to the success of the Cowboys pass rush. Collins broke his foot during OTAs his rookie year, causing him to miss all of training camp. Once healthy, he became a starter at the 3-technique defensive tackle spot. He notched 5.0 sacks and 7 quarterback hurries his rookie year.
His 5.0 sacks as a rookie matched Tyrone Crawford’s (the $45 million dollar man) career best. Talk about solid production from a rookie. While he may not get the spotlight that David Irving gets, or the attention that Charlton is sure to grab, he may just be the best defensive lineman on this roster in 2017.
Given a full offseason with the defensive coaching staff, namely defensive line guru Rod Marinelli, and a full training camp, Collins has the potential to put up a 10-sack season.
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Every fan of the Dallas Cowboys should be very excited about what Maliek Collins can become. Tyrone Crawford even compared him to Aaron Donald, per Omaha.com. So, while the focus may be on others from last year’s draft class — and this year’s for that matter — don’t forget that Collins might just be the best defensive lineman on the Dallas Cowboys.