The Texas Longhorns have another elite interior defensive lineman ready to hear his name called in the NFL Draft.
Just a year removed from Bryon Murphy II and T'Vondre Sweat getting selected in the first two rounds, there is now another beast in the chamber.
Defensive lineman Alfred Collins may not be as high a pick as his former teammates, but he fits a lot of what the Dallas Cowboys are looking for.
The Cowboys think so too.
They're expected to host Collins for one of their top-30 prospect visits at The Star, according to draft analyst Ryan Fowler.
Collins, who grew up just outside of Austin, in ineligible for a "Dallas Day" invitation, but his interest from the Cowboys still gets him a chance to visit the team.
Dallas had one of the worst run defenses in the team's recent memory, but Collins' 6-6, 332-pound frame can be an asset to clog up running lanes.
He also comes with a load of experience after playing five seasons with the Longhorns. In 2024 he had career-highs in tackles (55) and passes defended (6) as the anchor on one of the NCAA's best defenses.
At Texas' Pro Day in Austin - that featured other premier Cowboys' suitors like receiver Matthew Golden and quarterback Quinn Ewers - Collins was sidelined with an apparent injury.
Texas defensive lineman Alfred Collins has a boot on his left leg and will not participate in Texas' Pro Day today pic.twitter.com/l6rPJNdxra
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) March 25, 2025
The boot could be just a precaution, but is still noteworthy after his earlier scouting performances.
Collins was expected to be one of 21 Longhorn participants at the Pro Day, but remained inactive while still coming to talk with coaches and support his teammates.
The big man did go through measurements at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, but only select drills - he reached a 26-inch vertical jump and 8-foot broad jump.
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NFL's Next Gen Stats have Collins grading at a 73 overall score. That ranks 12th among all defensive tackles in the Draft.
Likely a Day 2 selection, Collins has a chance to be a redemption pick for the Cowboys, who have had little success finding interior D-lineman through the Draft.
2023 first rounder Mazi Smith from Michigan has not panned out at the rate many expected, for a multitude of reasons.
His selection also came during a point of annoyance in Cowboys Nation after Dallas' whiff of another Michigan Wolverine in Taco Charlton in 2017.
May Alfred Collins be a third-time's-the-charm pick?
His likely invitation to The Star as one of the top 30 prospective draftees says a lot about Dallas' intrigue.
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Copyright 2025 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 10:17 AM.
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