Again, I'm not trying to say there's something Collins isn't doing because he's playing at a very high level for what he's being asked to do, which is be in coverage.
Taylor's first year he was a SS, and had more opportunities to make big stops on RBs, and operate close to the line of scrimmage. I've seen Collins blitz very effectively, but I've seen nothing to indicate that you could drop him in the box all day and expect him to still be the best player on the defense. Taylor also played special teams...still remember that dumb ass S from Detroit, Frampton talking trash to Taylor during pregame warmups and getting taken off the field on a crackback block from 21 on a punt return.
When you watched Taylor, you got the feeling that nobody should be able to do the kinds of things he was. He had a freakish knack for knowing where plays were going and getting there at the perfect time. I'm not even sure he could've been as effective since the rise of defenseless receiver rules. But anything you could've dreamed of ever wanting a safety to do at that point in time, he was capable of doing at a very high level. He was a football player.
I'm not trying to romanticize him in death...he made mistakes (bad angles, biting on play actions early in his career). But potential wise, I can't think of any up and coming safeties that are comparable.