San Francisco 49ers left tackle Justin Skule is 1-0 as a starter and hopes to go 2-0 tonight against the Cleveland Browns. He'll have to stop one of the NFL's best defenders, Myles Garrett, to do so.
Skule, a rookie, recently sat down with Greg Papa on KNBR and discussed his upcoming matchup.
"He's a complete rusher," Skule said of Garrett. "He's got great get-off, great speed. He's a long guy, and he brings a lot of power when he goes to his bull rush.
"He's kind of just got almost all the tools in the toolbox, so you really have to be on your game. If you give up one little inch of something, he knows when to take it, and how to take it, and make the most of it, and get to the quarterback."
Skule isn't alone in his game preparation. He is starting in place of the injured Joe Staley, who suffered a fractured fibula during Week 2. The veteran offensive lineman has been working one-on-one with Skule to make sure the 22-year-old is as prepared as possible for each start, and this past week was no different.
Staley invited Skule over to his home before the rookie's first start, and the two went through film and talked out what they saw from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
"He's been a tremendous help this week, too, and especially in the first week, kind of just showing me how to go about things the right way, and to be prepared when you get into the game," Skule added.
You can listen to the entire conversation with Skule below.
Skule spoke with Mark Willard of KNBR last week and acknowledged that Garrett is a talented pass rusher to go up against, but also noted something that right tackle Mike McGlinchey shared with him.
"You can't focus on the guys' names," Skule told Willard. "You're going to face elite defensive ends every week in the NFL. That's what it is. You can't psych yourself out before the game. You've just got to go out and play."
