|
Charles Cross NFL Draft Profile
|
Charles Cross Scouting ReportCharles meets the requisite size of an NFL tackle. He is a very lean offensive tackle. He is a violent and physical tackle who exudes competitive toughness. He finishes putting defenders in the dirt. He looks to punish his opponents every play. He is a true grit mauler in the run game. He is a powerful lineman that displays a decent anchor in pass protection. Cross has elite athleticism to the position. He is explosive out of his stance. He has exceptional footwork to mirror his opponent. He can rapidly get out to the second level. He has excellent change of direction, he also has exception recover ability with swift smooth movement. Charles demonstrates excellent football intelligence. He appears to be in constant communication with the left guard, pointing out dangerous men lurking on the other side of the trench. He does a brilliant job of diagnosing plays, passing off, and picking up players on twists and stunts.
|
Areas for ImprovementCross has his most significant issues when facing speed rushers. He is often beaten around the outside track by this type of pass rusher. He must ensure he doesn’t allow his feet to get crossed over. He can be guilty of this when trying to recover against speed rushers. Another area for improvement, more precisely consistency, is hand placement. Charles has proven that he can use his hands devastatingly in pass protection and run blocking. However, there are examples of poor hand usage resulting in him losing a rep.
|
Charles Cross Career at Mississippi StateCharles had an obstackle to hurdle before he could shine in Starkville, he was real lean weighing at 270 pounds. Cross would need to bulk up to meet the increased physical demands of the college football season. He redshirted his freshman season, in 2019. Prior to redshirting, he saw snaps against Southern Miss, Kansas State and Tamu. Those appearances gave him his first taste of live action bouts. Having spent a year developing mentally and physically, he entered his redshirt freshman season weight an additional twenty pounds. Charles made his starting debut in the season opener against reigning champions LSU. For many reasons, the eyes of the college fooball world were on the contest. One of which was Mike Leach implementing the "Air Raid" scheme on the Bulldogs' offense. In his first start, Cross was tasked with protection K.J. Costello's blindside. The result? An SEC and Mississippi State passing record as Costello threw for 623 yards and 5 touchdowns. Cross impressed with his fast and physical play at the left tackle position. Although there wasn’t another success quite like the opening day obliteration of LSU, he was a vital component of the bright moments of the season. Cross protected Costello and Will Rogers as the two quarterbacks combined to set another record. They broke the SEC and program record for the number of pass attempts during a visit to Kentucky. Despite limited opportunities to display his aggression in the ground game, Cross did prove impactful as the Bulldogs achieved 151 rushing yards against Missouri. The Mississippi State OT impressed sufficiently during his 10 starts in 2020 to earn Freshman All-SEC honors as voted by the conference’s coaches. His career trajectory has been one of constant elevation. With another season of development in the SEC, there is no reason to believe that Cross won’t be one of the best tackles in the 2022 NFL Draft. Although, to be honest, I think he already is. |
Charles Cross NFL Draft Player ProfileDespite a record-setting start to the season, 2020 was ultimately disappointing for Mississippi State. However, one player was making noise amongst the silenced Starkville cowbells. In his first full season at left tackle, Charles Cross emerged as one of the best offensive tackles in the 2022 NFL Draft class. As a redshirt sophomore this upcoming season, it’s far from certain that he’ll declare, but a look at Cross’ scouting report proves the Mississippi State OT has the tools to be near the top of the class.
|
 |