For much of last year Giants strong safety Landon Collins was an overmatched rookie. This year he's a candidate for NFL defensive player of the year, picking up buzz for Most Valuable Player and drawing comparisons to longtime Ravens safety Ed Reed.
It's a rare leap, at least judging by the reaction from Browns coach Hue Jackson when asked if Collins stands out on film.
"Oh, my gosh, yes he does," Jackson said. "The jump he's made from year one to year two is eye-opening. He's making a lot of plays."
Some have tempered the hype about Collins because he's been in the right place at the right time. But that would be underestimating his impact for the Giants (7-3) as they visit the winless Browns on Sunday.
A University of Alabama product picked at the top of the second round, Collins notched one interception in 2015; this season he has totaled five in the past four games. He leads the Giants in tackles (80), and his three sacks are one behind team leaders Jason Pierre-Paul and Olivier Vernon.
"I don't know who's playing better than him in the NFL right now," Giants linebacker Jonathan Casillas told Newsday. "He's making tackles, pass breakups, sacks, he's doing everything."
Browns quarterback Josh McCown said he can understand why Collins is being touted for defensive player of the year.
"He's an outstanding player, a very good young player," McCown said Wednesday. "He just has a nose for the football, flies around, plays physical and is a very intelligent football player. So I certainly understand why people would be putting his name out there for the player of the year."
Collins, 6-foot and 216 pounds, excels dropping into coverage, but also plays linebacker against the run. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo can line him up anywhere.
"He moves around, and with five interceptions it speaks to his ball skills," McCown said. "He's just a hard-nosed football player. I think when you look at guys that play that way, they play the position the right way. He flies around, and he's a difference-maker."
That sounds like Collins' childhood idol, former Redskins safety Sean Taylor. Collins admitted at the 2015 combine he cried when Taylor died. Collins was given Taylor's number 21, since retired by Washington.
But it is Reed to whom Collins is being compared. Reed finished his 12-year career with 64 interceptions and had five or more in seven seasons.
Although Collins is just 22 years old, Browns tight end Gary Barnidge can see the similarities.
"He's a playmaker," Barnidge said of Collins. "He has very comparable stats to Ed Reed from a few years ago when Ed Reed was playing amazing. I think he's doing a great job.
"He's still young. Ed Reed was a great player, and he's getting there. He's showing his true potential this year."
McCown entered the league with Reed in 2002 and doesn't believe the Collins comparison is farfetched.
"I hold him in a high regard 'cause he did it for so long at such a high level," McCown said of Reed. "A little bit different kind of the things that he did and the things that Landon's doing. Different but same in their approach and in the way they played their position and with the speed and intensity, but yet the intelligence and ball skills to make plays and create turnovers. If he stays at this pace, there's no doubt that he'll certainly be in that conversation with Ed and guys like that."
The Browns had plenty of draft picks they could have used to move up in the second round to nab Collins. They could have taken him with the 19th overall selection they used on center Cameron Erving. But new Giants coach Ben McAdoo, the team's former offensive coordinator, said there was an adjustment period.
"Last year he was a rookie: You have to learn the pro game, learn the pro lifestyle, learn a new system; it's very detailed," McAdoo said on a conference call. "I think playing early helped him. There were some challenges at first, but he's turned into a very productive player and is doing a nice job in the back end as well as being up in the box."
Browns right guard John Greco said the Giants' 16th-ranked defense is playing well right now, and players are feeding off each other. But he's noticed Collins.
"He's all over the field making plays," Greco said. "He blitzes, he's good in coverage, he's a ball hawk. We're going to have to be on track for him."
According to Pro Football Focus, when Collins was in coverage last season, he gave up 46 receptions on 62 targets for 620 yards and five touchdowns with one interception. This season Collins has surrendered 29 catches on 44 targets for 316 yards and one touchdown with five interceptions.
While that's quite a flip to the script, Giants quarterback Eli Manning pointed out that it helps Collins to be in his second year in the same system.
"He's playing fast, he's reading concepts and being in the right place at the right time," Manning said on a conference call. "The pass rush is always a big part of interceptions, the ball getting tipped. The defense is playing at a high level and all of a sudden turnovers start happening."
The Browns' offensive players won't be the only ones watching Collins. Browns rookie strong safety Derrick Kindred said he's been following Collins since his days at Alabama.
"We play the same position, and we're both the same age," Kindred said. "We're both hard hitters; we want to make that big pop.
"For him catching interceptions, that's starting to come out. Hopefully I can get to that point."
