Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. Today's installment covers:
But first, a look at a young wide receiver who's taking a scintillating star turn ...
Houston's emergence as an AFC heavyweight has made a superstar of C.J. Stroud, and understandably so. The Texans' aerial attack sparked last season's worst-to-first takeover of the AFC South (and ensuing playoff win), with opponents unable to slow down a rookie quarterback who averaged a league-best 273.9 yards per game. But while the football world has rightfully raved about the 2023 Offensive Rookie of the Year as a top-tier player at the game's most important position, it is time to give his WR1 some love as an elite playmaker on the perimeter.
Nico Collins enjoyed a breakout season in 2023 with 80 catches, 1,297 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 224-pounder dominated one-on-one matchups in his third pro campaign, relying on his superior size, length and athleticism to overwhelm defenders in space. Collins' balance, body control and agility make him a rare find as a big-bodied pass catcher with polished route-running skills -- and he's taken another big step forward in the early goings of this season. Now, with Stroud displaying exceptional confidence in his supersized WR1 in crucial moments, we're all witnessing the rise of a budding superstar at the wide receiver position.
Atlanta's OT win over Tampa Bay on Thursday Night Football already has us into Week 5, but through the first four weeks of action, Collins comfortably led the league in receiving yards (489) and ranked second in catches (30). He also paced the NFL with 25 receiving first downs while tying for first in receptions of 20-plus yards (seven), exhibiting a unique ability to thrive as both a chain-moving possession receiver and a big-play threat.
Last Sunday, while performing my duties as the sideline analyst for the Jaguars, I had a chance to witness Collins' dominance from the field level. The 25-year-old was unstoppable in Houston's 24-20 win over Jacksonville, showcasing his electric game with 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. From his clutch grabs between the hashes on various in-breaking routes at intermediate depth to his acrobatic snags outside the numbers, Collins spearheaded the Texans' passing game against a defense attempting to neutralize his impact with tilted coverage in his direction. Despite facing extra attention, Collins wore out the Jags with big play after big play, often in crucial moments. The Michigan product displayed the clutch playmaking ability scouts and coaches covet in a WR1.
Collins' inspired performance didn't surprise his quarterback, who relayed to reporters in the postgame what he told Collins when they first linked up following Stroud's selection as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
"I go back to when I first met Nico on the field during OTAs, and I told him, 'You're a superstar, and I'm going to make sure people know that,' " Stroud recalled. "I feel like ever since then, he's had a swagger and a confidence starting from last year, and it's just rolling now."
Surveying the landscape, Nico is not only the best receiver in H-Town, but he is on the verge of joining the likes of Justin Jefferson and Ja'Marr Chase, among a few others, as one of the premier pass catchers in all of football. Collins exhibits the dominant traits (playmaking, route-running, versatility and clutch factor) of the true cream of the crop at the position.
With more eyes on the 3-1 Texans these days, Collins is finally beginning to get his due as a true game-changer. Another big game on Sunday -- in a marquee matchup against Josh Allen's 3-1 Bills -- and Collins' rep will continue its rocketing ascent.
Warner for Defensive Player of the Year!
No off-ball linebacker has won AP Defensive Player of the Year since Luke Kuechly in 2013, but Fred Warner is making quite an early push for the hardware in 2024. Through the first month of the season, the San Francisco 49ers star is Pro Football Focus' highest-graded player on offense or defense. A first-team All-Pro selection in three of the past four years, Warner has stuffed the stat sheet in his first four games, with 27 tackles, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and a sack. And that's despite missing the entire second half of last week's 30-13 blowout of the Patriots with an ankle injury. (The linebacker is officially questionable for Sunday's divisional bout against the Cardinals, but his return to practice on Friday was a promising development.)
Warner's combination of workmanlike production and splash-play electricity is something to behold every week. Studying the tape, the 27-year-old pops off the screen as a sideline-to-sideline playmaker with superb instincts, awareness and anticipation. He routinely tracks down running backs and pass catchers as a "see ball, get ball" defender with outstanding speed, quickness and burst.
Moreover, the 49ers' green-dot 'backer terrorizes opponents as a versatile defender between the tackles, exhibiting rare traits as a tackler, pass rusher and coverage specialist. He's making game-changing splash plays with staggering frequency, like the "Peanut punch" of Breece Hall in Week 1, a touchdown-saving punch-out and a leaping pick/long return in Week 2, and a spectacular pick-six in Week 4.
