Rivals braintrust debates Nico Collins’ NFL draft potential

The Rivals.com braintrust debates how high the former Michigan football wideout could go in the NFL draft in April.

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At the moment, there’s no telling where former Michigan football wide receiver Nico Collins may go in the NFL.

The go-to wideout had intended on coming back for the 2020 season, but when the Big Ten floundered on whether it would or would not have a season, Collins opted out, as he had already started preparing for the next level after the conference had announced that it initially was canceling or postponing college football competition for the year.

With that in mind, Collins has both unparalleled size and speed. But, he’s not included on any first-round mocks that we’ve seen to date. With a successful pro day, however, Collins could wow NFL scouts and GMs, changing the current narrative, as players such as D.K. Metcalf had coming out of his combine performance.

The Rivals.com duo of Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney debated last week as to how high Collins could go, with the theoretical question posed: could he be a first-rounder in April?

Farrell’s take: FICTION. A lot of people forget how good Nico Collins is as a wide receiver with size and speed because he opted out of last season. But I see him as a Tee Higgins type who will be a great second-round value for some team as the smaller, speedier guys go in the first round.

Gorney’s take: FACT. Collins had two great seasons at Michigan in an offense that was not exactly lighting up scoreboards and posting huge numbers, especially when throwing to receivers. If Collins is lost in the shuffle a little bit because he opted out this season, that would be a mistake because he has excellent size and length, and after Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle the top of the receiver board is a little muddled. After those three, Collins should be in the argument, and that means he could be a fringe, late first-rounder.

Still, with Collins not appearing to be on mock draft prognosticators’ radar at the moment, what are the chances that he’s being noticed by NFL decision makers?

Again, with the combine being canceled, if Collins shows out at his pro day, it could signify a big change to his professional horizons. After all, this from director of the Reese’s Senior Bowl, Jim Nagy, showcases Collins’ overall talent.

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