New York Giants: Landon Collins Ranked As Top-10 Player by PFF
By Nick Ziegler
Pro Football Focus recently released their list of the Top-101 players from 2016. Where did New York Giants safety Landon Collins rank?
New York Giants safety Landon Collins had a great second season in New York. After struggling in his rookie season, Collins’ role changed a bit on defense. Playing him closer to the line of scrimmage helped result in a breakout year for the safety.
This past offseason, the Giants spent a lot of money on the defensive side of the ball. Signings like Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins, and Damon Harrison highlighted big moves made by general manager Jerry Reese. While those three all played well for New York, it was Collins who really stood out on the defense.
In 2016, Collins totaled four sacks, five interceptions, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown. His ability to make plays in the second half of the season really made the Giants’ defense elite during that time.
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Pro Football Focus recently released their rankings for the Top-101 players in 2016. Collins was ranked as the eighth-best player in the entire NFL. Here’s what they had to say about Collins.
"There is no greater advertisement for the difference finding the right role can make than Landon Collins’ 2016 season. A year ago, he was a rookie disappointment that had floundered as the deep-lying free safety in the Giants’ defensive scheme. In 2016, though, he was moved closer to the action as their strong safety and became reborn as a true impact playmaker. Collins was everywhere for the Giants this year, impacting the run, covering receivers close to the line and even causing havoc as a pass-rusher on the blitz. He had a very real Defensive Player of the Year case and won PFF’s Breakout Player award."
Seeing some of the players that Collins was ranked above has to make the Giants’ organization smile. After just two seasons, Collins has not only emerged as one of the best defensive players in the league but also has one of the best overall players. At just 23-years-old, Collins is just beginning to reach his potential.