Kansas City Chiefs star offensive guard, Trey Smith, recently named the two players that he’s had the hardest time against in his career. Aaron Donald and Maliek Collins.
That’s an enormous compliment from
arguably the top interior offensive lineman in the league right now.
I think Maliek Collins has been severely underrated for a large part of his career. I think you see a lot of it right now with the Browns’ [defensive] production.
Smith went on to discuss how Collins’ pass rush repertoire is very refined and calculated on every snap. That’s also something that others have said about him and his non-stop motor at the point of attack. His ability to move and “wiggle” around blockers the way that he does at 310 pounds is an indictment of his above-average athleticism and contact balance.
Collins has always been known for his excellent hand usage at the point of attack, and it’s one of the main reasons why he’s so hard to block. It’s not simply the fact that his pass-rush moves are hard to defend against in general; it’s that he always has the upper hand. When an offensive lineman can’t get their hands either inside or on the defender first, it’s going to be a losing battle for them 80% of the time.
Maliek Collins owns and trains at a boxing gym in Arizona during the offseason, and it shows on the field as he’s elite at attacking blockers and bringing the fight to offensive linemen. In fact, it’s what makes both he and Mason Graham so effective right now on the interior for Cleveland. Collins and Graham have incredible motors and never really stop working throughout the entirety of each play. They’re also very good at controlling the arms of blockers, which allows them to manipulate movement and leverage.
Cleveland’s defensive tackle room is filled with guys who have the ability to win at the snap, and it’s paying off so far from a defensive standpoint.
Has Maliek Collins impressed you so far this season? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.
