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In a recent article for The Players' Tribune, Tampa Bay All-Pro defensive tackle Gerald McCoy wrote about the five toughest offensive linemen he's faced during his eight-year career.
No surprise, Cowboys All-Pro right guard Zack Martin made the list.
"I think Zack Martin is the best interior lineman in football. Period," McCoy wrote. "He played offensive tackle at Notre Dame, and the Cowboys moved him in to play guard, which I think suits him best, I think. So he basically plays the guard position with the patience of an offensive tackle, which is pretty unique.
"Most interior linemen jump off the line and try and punch you right off the snap. But Zack is very patient. He's not rattled by anything. You can head-fake, stab and grab, chop -- none of it works because he doesn't bite. He just sits back and waits for you to come to him, like a tackle would."
The former Oklahoma Sooners standout and five-time Pro Bowler went on to explain how "freakishly strong" Martin is and shared an example of when Martin got the best off him last season.
On the third play from scrimmage during the 26-20 Cowboys win over Tampa Bay last December, McCoy thought he got the best of Martin by getting him off balance on an inside Ezekiel Elliott run.
However, as soon as McCoy "looked into the A gap," Elliott jumped outside to the B gap. And instead of stopping Elliott for a loss, he gained seven yards.
"That peek inside was that little advantage Zack needed to reset himself and lock me down in the A gap," McCoy recalled. "The margin for error is so small against a guy like Zack Martin. And that play just proves that you really gotta be on your game when you face him."
Dallas Cowboys: All-Pro DT Gerald McCoy explains why 'freakishly strong' Zack Martin is the 'best interior lineman in football' | SportsDay
No surprise, Cowboys All-Pro right guard Zack Martin made the list.
"I think Zack Martin is the best interior lineman in football. Period," McCoy wrote. "He played offensive tackle at Notre Dame, and the Cowboys moved him in to play guard, which I think suits him best, I think. So he basically plays the guard position with the patience of an offensive tackle, which is pretty unique.
"Most interior linemen jump off the line and try and punch you right off the snap. But Zack is very patient. He's not rattled by anything. You can head-fake, stab and grab, chop -- none of it works because he doesn't bite. He just sits back and waits for you to come to him, like a tackle would."
The former Oklahoma Sooners standout and five-time Pro Bowler went on to explain how "freakishly strong" Martin is and shared an example of when Martin got the best off him last season.
On the third play from scrimmage during the 26-20 Cowboys win over Tampa Bay last December, McCoy thought he got the best of Martin by getting him off balance on an inside Ezekiel Elliott run.
However, as soon as McCoy "looked into the A gap," Elliott jumped outside to the B gap. And instead of stopping Elliott for a loss, he gained seven yards.
"That peek inside was that little advantage Zack needed to reset himself and lock me down in the A gap," McCoy recalled. "The margin for error is so small against a guy like Zack Martin. And that play just proves that you really gotta be on your game when you face him."
Dallas Cowboys: All-Pro DT Gerald McCoy explains why 'freakishly strong' Zack Martin is the 'best interior lineman in football' | SportsDay