The theory that Collier's injury last year was much worse/more debilitating than Pete let on makes a lot of sense...
Even when Collier finally got on the field, his presence was... well, mostly invisible.
I like to think I understand Pete's player development thinking as a coach...
So last year, Pete wanted LJ to get on the field, not so much for the contribution he would make, but to orient LJ's mind, acclimate him to the speed and intensity of a real NFL game, so he would know the standard he needed to prepare for in the offseason. Collier wasn't really full healthy, hadn't recovered his strength and burst, when he got on the field, but sucked about the same as Pete's other options, so Pete & Norton decided to get LJ some field reps.
It also means...
* Pete believes in LJ's determination, character, and work ethic
* Pete believes in LJ's athleticism, and physical ability to compete, at the NFL level, when healthy
* Pete sees LJ as a multi-year varsity contributor (being at heart still a college coach in many ways)
* Collier has performed well enough in 2020, over Rasheem Green and other options, to earn the start
* Pete is confident enough in Collier's near-term upside that he didn't feel the need to mortgage the farm for Clowney
We know Pete & John love guys who have overcome setbacks and succeeded anyway. LJ Collier checks a lot of boxes on that, losing his mother to cancer as a teenager.
So I went and watched some of Collier's 2019 college tape. Frankly, he looked underwhelming on most plays. So I'm honestly not sure what the Hawks saw in him to merit a 2nd round selection. Slow off the ball, or as some pre-draft reports said, Collier waits for the tackle to show how he's going to block before making any moves. So, I'm going to trust that Pete and John saw raw potential and athleticism they are confident they can coach up into an NFL-caliber difference-maker. I sure hope they're right.
Does anyone think Collier looks like an NFL star instead of like a stiff in this 2018 game vs. Texas? Please educate the doubters on why, and what an NFL scout would take away from this game.
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