Philadelphia Eagles

Dawkins on Landon Collins: Eagles defense is not a fit for him

Published Apr. 22, 2015 12:00 p.m. ET

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Alabama safety prospect Landon Collins is widely regarded as the top safety in the draft. He has also been a popular mock draft pick for the Eagles at No. 20 overall. Although the predictions of draft analysts who study all of the positions has some real value, there is nothing like the opinion of someone who has played the position. When that someone is current ESPN analyst and former Hall of Fame caliber safety Brian Dawkins, it's probably important to listen up.

Dawkins isn't sold on Collins excelling in every NFL defensive scheme.

"I know a lot of people are loving Landon Collins," Dawkins said during an appearance on the Mike Missanelli Show on 97.5 FM The Fanatic in Philadelphia. "Looking at him, the way that Alabama uses him, I think he will be a beast in the right situation, in the right defense. I don't know that the Eagles defense is right for him because they ask their safeties to cover so much.

Dawkins has concerns with Collins' ability in coverage as it pertains to defensive coordinator Billy Davis' scheme, because Davis relies on his safeties to be used in many different ways in coverage.

"I'm not leery of him," Dawkins said. "I just have not seen him be asked to cover. They didn't use him truly in that capacity to cover as much in terms of one-on-one, slot receivers and things like that.The Eagles defense sometimes, the way Bill Davis has him doing it, the safeties do have to cover those slot receivers from time to time and not just in zone coverage, either."

Dawkins believes that the Eagles' best route is to target a safety who excels in both coverage and open field tackling to pair next to Malcom Jenkins in a system that often uses its safeties interchangeably.

"Now, you do have have the luxury of having one of the better cover safeties in the National Football League in Malcolm Jenkins," Dawkins added. "But, I would love to have a safety that coming into the National Football League can give you what you need as far as coverage and open-field tackling."

"You've gotta have that. You've gotta have smarts. You have to have open-field tackle-ability. You have to be able to cover, when the coverage dictates that you go down to cover the slot and cover the tight ends and not be a huge mis-match."

That might be easier said then done, Dawkins. This year's safety class may lack the ideal prospect for the Eagles that Dawkins has outlined.

(h/t True Jersey)

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