The Stats Back Up Collins
One of the biggest concerns heading into 2025 was how the Browns would replace Dalvin Tomlinson, the space‑eating nose tackle they moved on from to free up cap space. Andrew Berry opted for a rotation of cheap veterans and rookies, headlined by Collins and first‑round pick Mason Graham from Michigan. Graham has shown the explosive get‑off that made him a top pick, but it’s Collins’ consistent pressure that has freed up Myles Garrett to wreck games from the edge.
The way Collins plays fits the identity Schwartz wants. The Browns' defensive coordinator runs a one‑gap front that tells his linemen to attack rather than read, trusting his linebackers to clean up. That suits guys like Collins, who have never been massive run‑stuffers but thrive when they’re free to cause chaos. The result? Cleveland has allowed just 248 total yards per game, first in the NFL, and only 75.6 rushing yards per game.
Collins has always flashed as a disruptive three‑technique in passing situations, and in Jim Schwartz’s aggressive, gap‑attacking scheme, he's been free to shoot into the backfield.
Through five games, he leads all NFL defensive tackles and is 10th overall in pass‑rush win rate at 21.6%. Pro Football Focus has Collins with the highest pass rush grade among defensive tackles and 5th overall at an outstanding 91.8. Only Micah Parsons, Aidan Hutchinson, Myles Garrett, and Joey Bosa have a higher grade.
For the non-PFF graders, the pure stats are backing Collins as well. Collins is currently tied for 1st with Titans' Jeffrey Simmons for most sacks by a defensive tackle with 3.5. Collins is also tied for 4th in pressures among defensive tackles with 17 and 7th in hurries with 11. He is doing all of this while logging only 126 pass rush attempts, which is tied for 22nd in the league at defensive tackle and 46th overall.