Kelby Collins DE South Carolina |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #17 SUB-POSITION: VERSATILE DL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.76 seconds (66%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 21.9 DOB: 10/21/2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jersey: #17 | |
| SUB-POSITION: VERSATILE DL | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.76 seconds (66%*) | |
| Age: 21.9 DOB: 10/21/2004 | |
| Overall Rating: |
74.3 / 100
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
|
73% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Tackling: |
|
60% |
| Pass Rush: |
|
61% |
| Run Defense: |
|
78% |
|
DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#367
Position rank:
#45 (DL)
|
||
| College Games: 32 College Snaps: 482 | ||
ESPN RATING: 86/100
|
||
|
247 RATING: 96/100
|
||
|
RIVALS RATING: 6.0 (98%)
|
||
| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Paris Shand - LSU |
|
96% |
| Jordan Davis - Mississippi State |
|
95% |
| Korey Foreman - Fresno State |
|
88% |
Draft Profile: Bio
Kelby Collins signed with Florida as a four-star recruit out of Gardendale High School in Alabama. As a freshman in 2023 he played 12 games, totaled 24 tackles and three sacks with 15 quarterback hurries and was named to the SEC coaches' All-Freshman team.His 2024 season in Gainesville lasted four games, preserving a redshirt, and he entered the transfer portal in December 2024 and committed to Alabama, returning to his home state.
In 2025 Collins played 14 games as a rotational defensive lineman for the Crimson Tide, recording 11 tackles and eight quarterback pressures across 149 defensive snaps. He produced four hurries in the overtime game against Vanderbilt and registered a sack in Alabama's College Football Playoff matchup with Oklahoma. In January 2026 Collins entered the portal a second time and committed to South Carolina along with his brother Drew, taking one remaining season of eligibility to his third SEC program.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Stout against the run as a rotational early-down end
- Good timed speed for the position helps him chase the line
- Pressured Vanderbilt four times in a single game
- Carries a frame at 275 pounds to hold the edge against the run
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Logged under 150 snaps on the year, a tiny role
- Disruption is thin, with one sack and modest pressure totals
- Rush value trails the run and offers little finish
- Recorded only four run stops despite the strong run
- Has bounced through three programs without a featured role
Scouting Report: Summary
Collins is a stout, run-first rotational end whose best work comes against the run, a 275-pound player with good timed speed for the position and the frame to hold the edge. In limited duty for Alabama he pressured Vanderbilt four times and sacked Oklahoma while flashing some interior power, showing flashes that suggest more than the modest box score. The run-defense base and the body are the foundation of the projection here.The production and the role are the holdups. His snap count stayed very low at under 150 reps, his production is thin with one sack and modest pressure totals, and his more disruptive against the run than rushing with little finish. He recorded only four run stops despite the strong run, a function of the limited snaps, and he has bounced through three programs without ever landing a featured role. The tape is a small sample of a complementary player.
He slots as a rotational run-down end who holds the edge and contributes on early downs, a depth piece whose roster case rests on run defense and special teams rather than pass rush. He has to earn snaps and show the production scales, because the rush portfolio gives him little to lean on. He grades as a priority-free-agent or very late addition, with a fresh start at a new program a chance to carve out a role.
How other scouting services rate Kelby Collins (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
488.0
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
45.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.