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Cleveland Browns: Shon Coleman praised by Myles Garrett

By Thomas Moore

Dec 30, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers offensive lineman Shon Coleman (72) looks down field during the game against the Memphis Tigers at the 2015 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2015; Birmingham, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers offensive lineman Shon Coleman (72) looks down field during the game against the Memphis Tigers at the 2015 Birmingham Bowl at Legion Field. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns may have a gem in rookie right tackle Shon Coleman. Not they just need him to get healthy and on the field.

The Cleveland Browns entered the 2016 NFL Draft knowing they had a hole to patch at right tackle.

After watching Mitchell Schwartz grow into one of the best players at his position over his four years in Cleveland, the team inexplicably let him walk in free agency, subsequently creating a need where one had not existed.

The training camp battle to replace Schwartz will be an important one to watch with fourth-year player Alvin Bailey, and 2016 draft picks Spencer Drango and Shon Coleman all competing for the starter’s spot.

But if one player is to believed, Coleman has the potential to be the special one in the group.

Myles Garrett, the Texas A&M junior who is widely considered the best defensive end in college football, was asked during an SEC Media Day session about the best offensive tackle he has faced so far in college.

His answer? None other than Shon Coleman.

“Humongous,” Garrett told al.com of the 6-foot-7, 310-pound Coleman. “He was already big, but his footwork really improved that next year. It made it a task to try to get by him. It’s already hard enough to try to go through him. You have to find a way to exploit his weaknesses, and he did a good job at lessening and working on those.”

While Garrett had his way in their first meeting, posting four tackles and a quarterback hurry, Coleman was ready for him in the rematch, limiting Garrett to just three tackles and helping Auburn roll up a season-high 320 rushing yards.

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If things break right for the Browns, Garrett and Coleman may have an opportunity to go against each other on a daily basis starting in 2017. The Browns have a realistic chance to hold two high first-round draft picks next spring, and could use the second of those picks on Garrett. But that is a topic for another day.

The biggest obstacle holding Coleman back right now is that the Browns haven’t actually seen him on the field yet. Coleman is still recovering from surgery to repair a torn medial collateral ligament. The injury kept him out of the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine, but at the time of the draft Coleman was hoping to be able to participate “in some fashion in minicamp in June,” which didn’t happen.

The Browns have been very quiet about the Coleman’s injury status since head coach Hue Jackson spoke about it during rookie minicamp.

“Like I’ve done before with everybody, we are going to really take it slow, and we are going to get him where we need to be before we put him out there,” Jackson said. “He’ll be ready later on.

“He is working hard. You saw him out there doing things. We are always, with anybody who is injured or who have had an injury, we’ll take it a little bit easier with them to get them where they need to be. As you’ve seen, it’s competitive out there. You want to make sure a guy is ready before you put him out there.”

Next: How to replace Desmond Bryant

It may take a little longer than everyone would like, but once Coleman gets on the field and gets himself back in game shape, the Browns may have found a talented player to fill the hole at right tackle.

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