Originally published April 27, 2008 at 11:37a.m., updated April 27, 2008 at 02:17p.m.

Collins selected in fourth round by Cincinnati

By Ryan Wood

Advertisement

Former Kansas University offensive lineman Anthony Collins, at long last, was selected in the NFL Draft.

Collins was picked in the fourth round by the Cincinnati Bengals as the 112th overall selection Sunday. He was projected to be a second- or third-round pick, but slipped into the middle of the fourth.

"It was a struggle waiting around in the room," Collins said. "It was crazy, but I'm glad that it's all over with, and I'm glad I have my home."

His selections makes him the second Jayhawk to be picked. Cornerback Aqib Talib was selected in the first round (20th overall) by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buffalo Bills selected tight end Derek Fine later in the fourth round.

Cincinnati now will decide whether Collins is best suited as a tackle, where he's projected, or inside at guard. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said Collins could project anywhere on the line except center, an evaluation his assistants agree with.

"I think he can play either tackle or either guard," Cincinnati offensive line coach Paul Alexander said. "When you look at him, you would say that by body type, ideally, he is a right tackle. Maybe that's true, but I think that he's got enough reach, balance and poise to play on the left side."

Collins, who left school a year early to go pro, was an All-American left tackle for the Jayhawks in 2007 and a finalist for the Outland Trophy. He was KU's right tackle in 2006.

For more on this story and other KU players getting NFL opportunities, log back on to KUSports.com.

Comments

HawkFanEddie (anonymous) says...

Congrats on getting drafted but I wish he would have been a little wiser and stayed in school.

April 27, 2008 at 11:52 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jayhawkphan13 (anonymous) says...

agreed HawkFanEddie, i think he really couldda helped himself by staying at school for one more year.

But good luck Collins represent us well

April 27, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

swishymcjayhawk (anonymous) says...

GEEZ!! Mangino TOLD Collins to declare. How many times must it be said for it to sink into your skulls? He told coach that he wanted to come back, and Mangino said "strike while the iron's hot. go pro."

you cannot fault a guy for doing what his coach tells him to do.

April 27, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jayhawkinatl (anonymous) says...

Agreed...he should have come back. He played quite a bit of last year hurt, including the Mizzou and Orange Bowl games. A first-team all-American shouldn't have fallen to the 4th round!!!!

April 27, 2008 at 12:16 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

aledell (anonymous) says...

so Derek Fine just went to the Bills in the 4th round. ESPN's analysis had him graded at a 35 and projected as a 7th round pick. I guess the Bills saw something ESPN didn't.

April 27, 2008 at 12:32 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kickazzkurtz (anonymous) says...

Wish the Chiefs could find a way to trade and get Collins. They picked up Charles the RB from Texas, trade Larry Johnson for Collins, another O lineman and a futur 1st round draft pick.

April 27, 2008 at 12:51 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

MILFdestroyer (anonymous) says...

Swishmc, I completely disagree with you and I rememeber that article. Why would Mangino encourage him to leave? We have a great team and Oline coming back minus Rodriguez the RT who was undersized and nothing special anyway. We are expected to be a 10-2 type team health permitting and it would have been beneficial for Collins to be back. He could and would have been drafted higher in the 2009 draft. He would've been a SR 3 year starter, a 2 time All American on another BCS bowl team, that boasts the 3rd 1000 yard rusher in a row in Jacques Crawford.

April 27, 2008 at 1:11 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

creightonjayhawk (anonymous) says...

collins might take a year or 2 to develop but I really think he is going to be a player in the league. 8 to 10 year player/starter. go get him chiefs!

April 27, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

hawkfan20 (anonymous) says...

Congrats AC! He'll have just a good an opportunity to make the team as a 4th round pick as he would have in the 3rd round. I think AC will do just fine.

April 27, 2008 at 1:29 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

wcormode (anonymous) says...

kickazz - why would the Chiefs trade their only other good player to get collins? Larry is young and can be a cornerstone of the franchise. Running backs are very often busts. I think Charles will be a bust.

April 27, 2008 at 2:48 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kickazzkurtz (anonymous) says...

Look at Alexander getting cut. Running backs were disappointing this year in fantasy leagues as well. A new running back comes out of nowhere all the time. Denver has shown any RB can succeed with a good Offensive line. Johnson has attitude problems and we should trade him while we can get some players for him.

April 27, 2008 at 5:50 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

quigley (anonymous) says...

Should have stayed. Momma could have been eating Prime Rib instead of Hungry Man's.

April 27, 2008 at 10:22 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

What a waste

April 28, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

logicsound04 (anonymous) says...

LJ's "attitude problems" are what make him a punishing and dominating back (when he has even a shred of an o-line to run behind).

If LJ played somewhere other than KC, where the fans want all their players to be cowboys (a la Jared Allen), no one would be talking about his supposed "attitude problems".

LJ does as much as or more than any of the other Chiefs (except for Tony Gonzalez) in terms of charities and benefits in the Kansas City area. It made me sick how the fanbase here in the KC-area threw him under the bus this year when the Chiefs problems were very obviously the O-line and Edwards' stubborn refusal to bench no-talent Damon Huard.

Didn't anyone else notice how the Chiefs went from a .500 team to an 0-8 team when LJ went down with a foot injury? I just hope that it isn't career-altering, as foot injuries can often be for runningbacks.

April 28, 2008 at 10:48 a.m. ( | suggest removal )