Rising Star: Maliek Collins' Silently great season

By Adam Collins

To some Cowboys fans, Maliek Collins may still sound like a foreign name.  You may not know Collins very well, but he surprisingly had a very good season.  In the 3rd Round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected DT Maliek Collins out of Nebraska.  Many people liked this pick because it could boost our terrible pass rush, but I don’t think people realize how big of an impact Collins had during his rookie season.
 
Maliek Collins didn’t start for most of the season and even though he played all 16 games, he didn’t get much playing time.  Fighting for playing time, Collins worked extremely hard and silently put up great numbers last season.  Maliek totaled 23 tackles (17 solo, 6 assisted), 5.0 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery.  With rookie numbers like that, most people would think that Collins saw the field a lot more than he did.
 
I agree with everyone that the Cowboys definitely need to boost their pass rush, but I believe that Maliek Collins gives Dallas a great threat on the inside of their D-Line for many years to come.  If we can add another piece or two on the line, alongside the rising stars of Maliek Collins and David Irving, then I think the Cowboys will be able to boost their pass rush.  I mean, come on, the Cowboys had the #1 defense against the rush this season, so we’re not that far off.
 
Follow Adam on Twitter @DemBoyz_News