When the San Francisco 49ers selected Alfred Collins in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, they weren’t just drafting the player he was at Texas.
This is about something more than that. They were, and are, betting on the player he can still become.
And some folks think he can become a "breakout rookie'' for the team this year.
At nearly 6-6 and 332 pounds, Collins brings a rare combination of size, length, and athleticism that you simply can’t coach. The bloodlines are real too: his cousin, Trent Brown, made a career out of being a freakish athlete in an oversized frame, and Collins flashes some of that same rare movement ability — just from the other side of the ball.
So what makes Collins a second-round "risk'' to some?
At Texas, Collins never consistently dominated the way his measurable's suggested he could. Collins' Longhorns numbers? He amassing 141 total tackles, seven sacks, 12 pass deflections and an interception over his 64 games.
He'll be asked to be better in the NFL.
USA Today has pinpointed Collins as a top rookie breakout candidate. ... ranking him about first-round defensive end Mykel Williams, who is projected to start.
That may be a bit rich for our blood; the odds would logically hold that Williams will top Collins as a performer.
But Collins has a gigantic 6-6 frame who maybe just needs to be "coached up'' to reach his potential.
And if San Francisco taps into that? Maybe they’re getting a future starter who could become a cornerstone. ... after some level of rookie "breakout.''
