Eighth of an 11-part series. Coming tomorrow: cornerback.

Every so often, if the football gods are kind and if you are a lucky general manager, the NFL draft will gift you a player who is too good to be true in every possible way.

Maybe it will be a kid from a small town in Oklahoma, a kid from a school outside of the Power Five conferences, a kid who always scoffed at the naysayers from Hominy High School to the University of Tulsa and carries that chip into the first round of the NFL draft.

Maybe it will be a kid who can make jaws drop with a 96-yard pick-six, even though he is a shade under 6-foot-5 and weighs 260 pounds.

Maybe it will be the valedictorian of his senior class, and who cares if the class was only 47 strong?

Maybe that gift will be wrapped in one package.

Maybe that gift will be linebacker Zaven Collins.

And maybe, after all he has accomplished after being a schoolboy quarterback — the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2020 — that gift will be driven to chase this kind of dream NFL career:

“[I want to] play a long time,” Collins told The Post. “Who knows how long is a long time? Just kinda set the bar for people to chase. That’s kinda what happened at Tulsa, set the bar for guys to chase. Set the bar for guys that are around the world to chase. Some of the greats that are already in there that have already played, and are still playing, they set a bar really high that I’m gonna try and chase and reach to the best of my ability.”

During his redshirt junior season in 2020, Collins put together a unique combination of stats — four sacks and four interceptions, including the 96-yard game-sealer against Tulane, in eight games — to go with 54 tackles.

“I’m good at getting after someone’s [butt] from about five yards back — that’s where I’m lethal, I think,” Collins said.

He doesn’t do it with the crazed-dog ferocity of a Lawrence Taylor. He does it more with the beautiful mind of a Luke Kuechly.

“I’m not like a rage person, I don’t really go crazy out there on the field and turn into a different person,” Collins says. “For the most part, I’m very, very, very surgical as far as making all the moving parts are operating in the right area, making sure everyone’s doing their job correctly, making sure the D-line’s in their right gaps, making sure everyone knows the situation, everyone’s having situational awareness.”

Collins, who projects as a “Sam” backer, considers himself a coach on the field.

“I don’t think a lot of people are like me from a standpoint off the field and on the field,” he said. “Especially on the field because I know so much about the game. I take every little thing into account. Every little technique I’ve been taught, all the way from stance to how to tackle, how to take on blocks, how to approach people in different scenarios on the field, and how to make calculated guesses.”

The 96-yard pick-six?

“The only thing I was thinking of is I gotta get to the end zone as quick as possible so I don’t freakin’ get caught.”

That sort of athletic ability is hard to find.

“He looks huge on tape when you watch him. I was around Adalius Thomas with the Ravens, who was a 6-foot-2, 270-pound gunner, we lined him up all over the place, he was such a big-time athlete,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “He’s a rare guy. Some teams when you talk to ’em, they love all the things he can do and some teams are a little more concerned, like where exactly does he fit best?”

ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick:

“[Collins is a] big, physical downhill type of linebacker who is much better going forward than backing up. He’s got enough speed to be able to run vertically with most of the tight ends. He reminds me of a Carl Banks-type of guy — downhill thumper, good blitzer, real disruptive, needs to be better at the point or attack with his hands as far as getting off blocks. But he’s got a lot of disruptive qualities about him that can cause problems in the front seven for a team both with his blitzing ability and then his run- stopping ability.”

Collins is committed to getting his degree in exercise and sports science. He loves his hometown (pop. 3,431): “Everyone wants to see you succeed. It’s like you have a whole bunch of parents around everywhere.”

His mother raised him and his cousin alone. It is why valedictorian meant so much to him.

“My mom really wanted me to get that award,” Collins said.

Zaven Collins: Too good to be true.