RENTON, Wash. -- With Marshawn Lynch (unofficially) retired, the Seattle Seahawks have used two picks in the first five rounds on running backs.
With the No. 171 overall pick (fifth round), the team selected Arkansas' Alex Collins. Collins is one of three players in SEC history to register 1,000 yards or more in his first three seasons. The other two are Herschel Walker and Darren McFadden.
My take: While the Seahawks view C.J. Prosise as an all-purpose weapon, Collins fits the bill as more of a traditional running back. He carried 271 times for 1,577 yards and 20 touchdowns last season.
The Seahawks have Thomas Rawls as the presumed starter, but he's recovering from a fractured ankle. They brought Christine Michael back and signed Cameron Marshall. Collins should get a chance to compete for the No. 2 spot this summer.
And it seems safe to assume that he is the only back on the roster with an Irish dance alias: Mitchell Finley.
"Mitchell Finley is my alias," Collins said. "I just recently started Irish dance, and I got into that. It originated from Michael Flatley, professional Irish dancer. When I go into it, I just wanted to watch the best and learn from him. So I watched 'Lord of the Dance' on YouTube a few times and kind of got it from there."
Collins said he embraced Irish dance mostly for fun, but it doubles as a lower-body workout and helps with his footwork.