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Let’s pick the best from a surprisingly deep group of safeties!
In our continuing series on the Packers All-Quarter Century Team, let’s take a look at the last line of defense from a surprisingly strong crop of candidates!
While the Packers had a good run of developing their own safety prospects early in the century, this may actually be the best free agent position on the team of late, and it will be interesting to see who our readers go to as their second choice after what I assume will be a landslide for number one. On that note…
Note: All stats shown are as a member of the Green Bay Packers only, from the 2000 through 2024 seasons only.
3x Pro Bowl, 3x Second Team All Pro
Regular season stats: 95 games, 21 INT, 507 Return Yards, 4 TDs, 68 PDs, 6 FF, 4 FR, 1 TD, 421 T, 345 Solo, 1 Sack
Postseason stats: 7 games, 1 INT, 37 yards, 1 TD, 2 PD, 22 tackles (all solo).
On September 18th, 2011, Carolina Panther running back Jonathan Stewart attempted to hurdle Nick Collins and didn’t make it. The crown of Collins’ head hit Stewart awkwardly compressing his neck, resulting in a serious herniated disc that required cervical fusion surgery, ending his career.
Of all of the “what-ifs” in Packer history, Collins is likely the largest. He was just 28 at the time of his injury and still well within his prime, and I will argue forever that the Packers win the 2011 Super Bowl if he stays healthy. I will argue forever that if Nick Collins stays healthy for just a few more seasons, that he is an easy Hall of Famer, and that New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is not.
In the Super Bowl era, Nick Collins has the ninth-most interceptions for the Packers with 21, tied with Willie Buchanan. LeRoy Butler leads Packer safeties in picks with 38 (tied with Charles Woodson on the cornerback side), but while Butler averages a robust 0.21 picks per game, Collins’ 0.22 is ever-so-slightly higher.
It also wasn’t just about picks for Collins, as he was one of the surest tacklers in the team while simultaneously displaying elite cover skills. The primary job of a safety is to make the rest of the secondary better through instilling confidence that if they make a small mistake, you will always be there. Collins always was, until he wasn’t.
His three Second Team All-Pro selections only serve to highlight his greatness as the only two ahead of him were Hall of Famers Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed.
2x Pro Bowl, 1x First Team All-Pro, 1x Second Team All-Pro
Regular season stats: 75 games, 31 INTs for 595 yards, 64 PDs, 3 TDS, 5 FF, 2 FR, 1 TD, 411 tackles (324 solo), 5 sacks.
Postseason stats: 6 Games, 2 INTs, 5 PDs, 1 FF, 47 tackles (38 solo), 2 sacks.
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