National Football League

Giants coach: Landon Collins can set up a defense on day one

Published May. 5, 2015 10:51 a.m. ET

foxsports

Although they are not always lauded for their influence in the pre-draft process, position coaches can make a big difference. Safety coach David Merritt's words of advice might have given management the final nudge they needed to pull the trigger on a trade to move up in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft to select Alabama safety Landon Collins.

Giants general manager Jerry Reese admitted after the draft that Collins will be given every opportunity to win a starting safety spot in year one. If Collins can learn new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's defense as quickly as Merritt believes he will, Collins will be a starter Week 1 of the 2015 regular season.

(h/t New York Giants)

Photo Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

#NYG safety coach David Merritt to Coughlin on Landon Collins: "That guy can set up a defense from day 1 in the NFL." http://t.co/jF6KgP53OR
— Big Blue Interactive (@BigBlueInteract) May 4, 2015