Washington Redskins should target Landon Collins
By Andrew Long
It’s no secret that the Washington Redskins possess an ailing defense. Their front seven is respectable, but the same cannot be said about their secondary. The injury to DeAngelo Hall has forced the team to roll with a rookie starter across from second year man, David Amerson. The true weak spot in the Washington secondary is the safety position, though.
It’s an area on their defense that drastically needs to be upgraded. The team wasn’t able to sign any of the big name safeties in free agency last offseason, so they decided to roll with veterans Ryan Clark & Brandon Merriweather as their starters. Clark brings good tackling and leadership to the table, but his age won’t allow him to be anything more than a stopgap for the team.
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The team will undoubtedly have to upgrade the position in the offseason. I’d like to see them draft a young, talented player rather than look for the answer in free agency. With a current record of 3-7, the Redskins find themselves in the running for a top 10 draft pick (they would have pick 6 if the season ended today). I’m not sure if the team is willing to use a top 10 pick on a safety, but I think it’s something that they have to strongly consider.
Landon Collins is a player that could make sense for the Redskins at the top of the draft. The 6 foot tall, 222-pound safety out of Alabama would inject the Washington secondary with youth and playmaking ability. Collins is an explosive player that is seemingly always around the ball. He currently leads the Crimson Tide in interceptions (2) and is second on the team in tackles (31).
Collins is still a junior and can return to Alabama for his senior season if he chooses to do so. If Collins opts to enter the 2015 NFL draft, I believe that he is a top 10 pick. The Redskins also need help at right tackle, but Collins’ range, tackling and instinctive ability might be too much to pass up.