We continue our training camp preview by looking at the Indianapolis Colts’ cornerback room and a player who’s troubled past has kept him from reaching his potential.
Name: Jalen Collins
Position: CB
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 203
Age: 26
Year Drafted: 2015 (second round—ATL)
Background
Even with his various troubles in the NFL, Collins is still a talented player. Coming out of LSU, the 6-foot-1 cornerback earned more playing time throughout his college career and that trend continued on the next level. Following his first two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Collins produced 48 tackles with two interceptions and seemed destined to become a starter.
But four suspensions by the league because of violating policies for substance abuse and PEDs re-shaped Collins’s career and has him starting over again. And that’s where the Colts came into the picture.
Last November, the team signed him to their practice squad before resigning him to a future reserve contract at the beginning of this offseason.
2019 Outlook
Given the amount of competition set to take place at his position, Collins will certainly face an uphill battle to make the team. Every practice and game has to stand out for the LSU product, as his margin for error is not large. But the Colts are in need for legitimate depth at cornerback.
Not all is lost for Collins. The Colts are the kind of team to be patient with players and fully utilize their time between the main roster and practice squad. So don’t be surprised if Collins has a productive training camp, doesn’t make the final cut, and quickly gets signed to the Colts’ practice squad right away before a potential call up during the regular season.
Collins is battling for the final spots in the cornerback room with Nate Hairston, Chris Milton, Shakai Taylor and fifth-round pick Marvell Tell.
Bottom Line
Collins will definitely get a chance to compete for a roster spot, but he has to take advantage of every opportunity that’s given to him. A bad moment or two could immediately lead to an opportunity for others to make their claim at the position.
