2021 NFL Draft: One legend that each first round draft pick reminds us of

SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Trevor Lawrence #16 of the Clemson Tigers celebrates with the trophy after his teams 44-16 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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Zaven Collins (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) /

NFL Draft 2021: Arizona Cardinals pick Zaven Collins, compares to Ray Lewis

Admittedly, the measurables aren’t exactly similar. Linebacker Zaven Collins has three inches in height and 20 pounds of muscle over his Hall of Fame counterpart. With that said, that is the only thing that separates the pair.

There wasn’t a single linebacker that played with more tenacity or heart than Ray Lewis. He terrorized running backs and appeared in the dreams of quarterbacks. More importantly, Lewis was known for laying the wood on his opponents. Going across the field was a no go for anyone who played against the Ravens as Lewis would make sure it was your first and last time doing so.

For Collins, he plays the exact same way. He was all over the field in his final year at Tulsa registering 54 tackles, four interceptions and four sacks. It was the sort of all around numbers that Lewis built his Hall of Fame career on.

In addition to being all over the field, Lewis was a natural born leader, barking orders at his defense as he demanded a certain level of focus. On several occasions, Collins was seen on the field doing the exact same thing. While he probably won’t be as good of a dancer as Lewis, by all accounts, he’s going to be just as good.

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