HOOVER, Ala. -- Myles Garrett has seen his share of standout offensive tackles in the SEC the last two years -- LSU's La'el Collins, Ole Miss' Laremy Tunsil and Alabama's Cam Robinson, to name three -- but the best pass protector the Texas A&M star has faced isn't any of those.
"In pass blocking -- I can't remember the guy's name, he was from Auburn -- that left tackle was pretty good," said Garrett, who is NFL.com's top-rated edge rusher for the 2016 season. "Especially last year, he did really well against me."
That would be Shon Coleman, the Cleveland Browns' third-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and not exactly the first name that would come to mind for the distinction. Collins has developed into a reliable starter at guard as a second-year pro for the Dallas Cowboys, and Tunsil was the No. 13 overall pick of the Miami Dolphins this year. Robinson enters the season as NFL Media analyst Lance Zierlein's top offensive tackle for 2016, and will face Garrett for the third time in their careers this fall.
Coleman, once a five-star recruit, recovered from a leukemia diagnosis early in his college career to become a two-year starter who replaced 2014 first-round pick Greg Robinson at left tackle. Coleman's NFL.com scouting report noted his head-to-head performance against Garrett. Analyst Daniel Jeremiah wrote an extensive scouting report on Garrett, noting advanced pass-rush skills, and was told by an NFL personnel executive that Garrett's play is reminiscent of nine-time Pro Bowler Julius Peppers. Garrett, with double-digit sacks in each of his first two college seasons, is regarded as one of the college game's hottest pro prospects. As a junior, Garrett could be eligible for either the 2017 or 2018 NFL Drafts.
While Garrett credited Coleman with the best pass-blocking skills he's faced, he said Collins was the toughest run blocker he's seen. Collins, who played left tackle at LSU, had a dominant performance against Garrett when Garrett was a freshman in 2014 in a 23-17 LSU win.
"In terms of run defending, it was La'el Collins. He got after me in that game," Garrett said. "That gave me a fire in my belly to work on my run defending, knowing there are guys that good on the edge, playing tackle. Knowing that guys are out there improving and trying to take it to that next level, that gives me fire to improve my play and work on these little things that can keep me from dominating a game."
If Coleman can perform against NFL defensive ends the way he did against arguably the best pass rusher in college football, the Browns will have struck gold with their third-round pick.
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