Get to Know the Patriots Second-Round Draft Picks
52nd overall: Jamie Collins
Position: Outside linebacker, also played safety
School: Southern Mississippi
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 250 pounds
Collins is a good southern boy, answering all his questions in a conference call with the media with a “no, sir” or “yes, sir”. According to scouts, Collins is a very athletic player, and he played a variety of positions between prep school, where he was a QB, and college, where he played safety his freshman year and part of his sophomore season before switching over to defensive end due to an injury.
The major negative with Collins is that he has been known to pack it in when his team isn’t doing well, and his numbers dropped in his senior season at Southern Mississippi when the team went 0-12. With a coach like Bill Belichick, that type of behavior won’t fly in New England.
Collins has faced quite a bit of adversity in his life. Both of his parents passed away by the time he was six years old, and he was raised by his sister Lisa after the death of his parents.
Collins has some friends in high places. He is on texting terms with fellow Mississippi boy Brett Favre and once fished with the legendary quarterback. The two have the same agent, Bus Cook.
Quote: “It’s just a lot of diversity going to quarterback to safety to [defensive] end; you’ve got a lot of mobility. There are just a lot more things that you can use as defensive end just because you’ve played safety, and I feel like I can use both to my advantage.”
59th overall: Aaron Dobson
Position: Wide receiver
School: Marshall
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 210 pounds
Dobson is the latest Marshall receiver to make the move to New England, as fellow Marshall alumni Troy Brown and Randy Moss also wore the Patriots jersey. Dobson said he does not know either Brown or Moss well, but he shares a Marshall honor with Troy Brown. The two are tied for fourth all-time on Marshall’s career touchdown reception list with 24 touchdown catches each. Dobson also accomplished the impressive feat of never dropping a pass in his 57 targets as a senior at Marshall.
His good size and long arms make him a strong outside target, and he has a Moss-like ability to make tough catches. The NFL will be quite an adjustment for Dobson, however, as he did not face much elite defensive talent at Marshall and the offense’s systems were very basic compared to the highly advanced style New England employs. Still, Dobson seems very excited to have Tom Brady throwing to him.
Dobson is a very athletic man. He was a talented basketball player in high school and toured Northeastern as a possible basketball recruit. Although he said he liked Boston quite a bit, he chose to play college football instead.
Quote: “I think I’m ready [for a more complex offensive system]. It’s definitely something that I’ve been getting prepared for just going through this whole process, doing what everyone tells me with the pressure of going into the league. I’m just going in focused and ready to start my new life with the Patriots and my new life in the NFL.”
