Patriots' Young Linebacker Duo Excelling on All 3 Downs

Dont'a Hightower and Jamie Collins are proving to be two of the better draft picks in the past five years for the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick.

Their ability to defy expectations and limitations has allowed them to thrive in their fully developed roles. Hightower was seen as a two-down thumper with limitations in coverage. Collins was labeled a pass-rush specialist.

Instead, they are two of only seven inside linebackers to have a positive rating in all three major categories (run defense, pass rush, coverage), according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). They rank No. 3 (Hightower) and No. 7 (Collins) overall among all NFL inside linebackers.

Collins' athleticism and open-field tackling ability stood out against the Colts Sunday night, two things that don't always correlate with college defensive ends. He did play some linebacker and safety at Southern Miss, but his quick transition to a complete linebacker on all three downs has been stunning.

Chris Burke of SI.com praised Collins after his performance against the Colts:

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Indianapolis ought to be plenty familiar with the second-year linebacker by now. Collins spearheaded the Patriots' playoff win over the Colts last season, stepping into the void caused by a Brandon Spikes injury.

He has seen far more playing time in year two of his NFL career than he did in year one, yet it's been the past month or so that Collins has taken his game to another level. We saw how he has done so again Sunday: with an athleticism that allows him to be equally adept covering guys like Bradshaw as he is hitting a gap at the line of scrimmage.

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Hightower received similar kudos from former Patriots quarterback Scott Zolak on CBS Boston:

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I want to give it up for Dont’a Hightower. You watch Dont’a Hightower a year ago play this position and it’s night and day. It scared the hell out of me when Mayo went down because Hightower was finally starting to find his niche off the edge, where that’s the role you want him in — that leverage guy, that Von Miller-type of guy,” said Zo. “Then all of a sudden he has to kick inside. Things weren’t great that first week, but to see him make the checks and make the calls [was great].

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At 270 pounds, Hightower isn't a guy who looked natural dropping into coverage during his rookie or sophomore campaigns—he had the lowest coverage rating on the team in 2013, per Pro Football Focus. The light has clicked on in 2014, and not just in coverage, where Hightower ranks as the third-best in the NFL at his position. 

Hightower showed pass-rush ability in college, but he has steadily improved in that area of his game during his three seasons in New England. At 23-of-91, Hightower gets pressure on the opposing quarterback over 25 percent of the time when his number is called. For contrast, Miami Dolphins pass-rusher extraordinaire Cameron Wake only clocks in at 15 percent.

On account of Hightower and Collins playing nearly every snap—they've missed only 20 combined snaps during the six-game win streak—that gives Belichick flexibility elsewhere on his 46-man active roster. An extra offensive lineman, defensive back or defensive lineman can help the ever-changing game plan take shape or supplement a positional group decimated by injuries. If New England would have re-signed Brandon Spikes—who has played just under half of the snaps for the Buffalo Bills—they might not have the same flexibility.

As New England continues its quest for a No. 1 seed in the playoffs, look for Collins and Hightower to play a big part on all three downs. If they do their job, they can watch their backups play on fourth.