Jamie Collins is racking up frequent flyer miles.
One day he’s in Buffalo, the next he’s in Houston, and then his phone rings and it’s off to Tampa Bay.
It’s all part of the NFL Draft process as one of the top prospects at his position.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound outside linebacker and former Franklin County star has taken part in pre-draft workouts with several NFL franchises during the last few weeks. He’s visited the Steelers, Bills, Texans, Dolphins and Bucs.
And later this week he’ll go west to visit with the 49ers and Seahawks before coming back and working out for the Saints, Falcons and Jaguars before the NFL Draft takes place April 25-27 in New York.
When Collins isn’t visiting team facilities, he’s being visited by teams in Hattiesburg. The Colts, Eagles, Patriots, Bears and Packers have flown in to take a peek, and so far the results have been positive. Most NFL experts can see Collins as a possible second or third round pick.
NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock has Collins ranked as his third-best 3-4 outside linebacker, ahead of Dion Jordan and Barkevious Mingo, both of whom are projected top-15 picks.
Where he lands right now is still up in the air. The Ravens fell in love with him early, and have been quiet ever since.
“They (Baltimore) asked me what jersey number I wanted to wear this fall during an interview with them at the Senior Bowl,” Collins said. “But here lately I’ve been hearing that question more and more after every visit.”
Since the NFL Combine, where he exploded onto the scene and through the laws of gravity, he’s been rising on the draft boards.
At a workout at the James Andrews Facility in Pensacola, Fla., weeks after the combine, Collins recorded an eye-opening 44-inch vertical and ran a hand-timed 4.55 in the 40-yard dash.
Those numbers combined with his NFL Combine record 11.7 broad jump, show just how explosive of an athlete he is.
“He’s a freak of nature,” said Collins former high school coach Rickey O’Quinn Jr. “I’ve seen him do things on the football field and on the basketball court that I’ve never seen someone do before.”
Pro football clubs have been lining up to have their personnel get a one-on-one look with Collins and, following each visit, the interest has heightened.
“I’ve been traveling and working out every week since the combine,” Collins said. “I’m just ready to play and ready to get back on the field and hunt some quarterbacks.”
Last year at Southern Miss, Collins notched a team-high 92 total tackles and recorded 10 sacks and ranked near the top nationally with 20 tackles for loss.
