He is the least cited of the three main tackles on the board. But can it be the most skilful blind side?
Charles Cross – Tackle – 20 years old – Sophomore – Mississippi State
Cut : 1m96
Weight : 141 kg
Estimated draft position: Top 15
NFL Comparison: Laremy Tunsil
Strong points
– First step and agility
– Technique and center of gravity
– Adaptability
With one more year in College Football, Charles Cross would undoubtedly have the label of best tackle on the board. But if the nugget from Mississippi State is already arriving in the big league, it is also because he knows that his profile pleases. What particularly sets the Bulldog apart from the other two favorites in the position, Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu, is his constant effectiveness as a left tackle. An excellent first step, good lateral fluidity and above all explosiveness when countering opposing offensives, Cross is the very prototype of what a pro pass expert should be in the NFL. Relatively young, the number 67 was able to develop a real football IQ with an ability to read the opposing pressure and adapt his way of blocking, thanks to an extraordinary technique, especially on the lower body. By often maximizing his center of gravity, the Starkville lineman has shown himself capable of defending against any type of profile, whether it is a swift edge or full center bull rushers.
Weak points
– Perfectible physics
– Gray areas on the run block
The first fault of Charles Cross, it is perhaps paradoxically its margin of progress. Because if we have an idea of what the person concerned already knows how to do, his potential is even more dreamy. Can he be as active on the ground game? Still difficult to know because the recent offensive system of MSU, addict of the aerial game, did not really familiarize him with this skill. His upper body technique is also an area for improvement, if not a weakness. Cross doesn’t have as violent hands as Neal and Ekwonu and tends to be less precise in positioning his hands when on the move.
The stat
2: the number of sacks conceded by Cross out of the 919 snaps in which he participated in 2021. An impressive statistic, for a player who started early and who almost exclusively protected the blind side. Another notable fact: he is one of the few not to have conceded any sack against the big defense of Alabama, led in particular by the pass rusher Will Anderson, announced very high in view of the 2023 draft.
Possible destinations
Houston Texans, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers
Only sophomore, Charles Cross still has things to learn to become an impregnable left tackle in the big league. But given the incredible maturity he has shown, and his development at high speed V on pass protection, the young wolf seems to have all the weapons to be an impact starter from his rookie season. To see the preferences of each team, but given his ability to excel in his chosen field, Cross has more than enough attributes to be the very first tackle selected in the next draft.
