Rating: (0 votes - average)

There's a battle in the trenches every single week in the NFL.

But this week's matchup hits a little closer to home, with Baton Rouge native and LSU alumnus La'el Collins starting at right tackle for the Dallas Cowboys.

Collins has had a productive last three weeks. Off the field, he agreed to a 5-year, $50 million extension on Sept. 3. And on the field, he's the highest-graded offensive lineman in the league, per Pro Football Focus, only allowing one pressure through three games.

"When you see things like that you definitely know that you're going against the cream of the crop," Saints defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. said. "So you have to study, you have to go out and do technique and do things like that. Otherwise you won't come out victorious."



What stands out about Collins to the Saints? His physical presence, for one.

Edwards usually puts offensive linemen into one of two boxes: they're either big and slow, or they're slimmer and sit on finesse rushes.

"But he has a combination of both," Edwards said. "He has size but also has athletic ability, too. He got paid for a reason. Just to be his size and able to move the way he does is great and it's kind of hard to pick up on him."

Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport added: "He's his own kind of player."

Collins stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 323 pounds, weighing in as the heaviest Cowboy on their roster. For comparison's sake, the Saints have just two larger linemen: rookie Ethan Greenidge (335) and guard Patrick Omameh (327).

But even with that size, Collins has speed.

read more on NOLA

Still one of the ones we should have gotten.