2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Charles Cross, OL, Mississippi State
Charles Cross is a solid left tackle coming out of Mississippi State. He is a highly technical player and possesses great strength. He has grown a lot as a player in his college career and is likely to keep growing and becoming an even better tackle in the NFL. Cross possesses a solid second-round talent and will be a great addition to a team needing a left tackle.
Charles Cross Profile
Charles Cross Combine/Pro Day Results
Scouting Report
Charles Cross was a Five-Star offensive lineman coming out of high school and red-shirting his first year. In his second year at Mississippi State, he struggled a bit, allowing 44 pressures on the quarterback but still earning SEC All-Freshman honors.
Wrapping my Charles Cross (67) re-watch and you WANT this OT on your roster.
Still has a lot to learn, but you get pumped up seeing him block on a WR screen... crushing DB in space.
Very few OTs can even attempt this.
Get this one in the 2022 #NFLDraft https://t.co/NqYX42v3bU
His final year as a Bulldog is where he separated himself from the rest of the competition. His performance at the left tackle position was a vast improvement, only allowing 16 pressures, which earned him First-Team All-SEC honors.
Strengths
Charles Cross is an excellent offensive lineman with great frame and technique. His frame is proportional to his position, and he has much lean mass on him.
He is light on his feet and quick with regaining position against defensive line pass rush moves. He plays with violent hands and explosive hips and is deliberate with strikes against his opponents in the run and pass game.
#MississippiState LT Charles Cross (@CharlesC_67) declared for the 2022 NFL Draft today. It wasn't a surprise.
Few of his teammates (Will Rogers/Bookie Watson/Jett Johnson) shared their thoughts:
"So happy for him. He deserves every bit of it"
Full:
bit.ly/3EbEgYV https://t.co/ArvHn1JvUP
He possesses the body control to set a strong anchor and the mobility to ride his opponents out of the pocket. Cross keeps his feet moving and can be a bulldozer on his run blocks. He played his entire career in the SEC against arguably the best defensive linemen and continually became better and better each year.
Weaknesses
Charles Cross is not the quickest tackle and has struggled against defenses with speed. He was inconsistent with reach blocks on run plays and struggled working up to the second level to block linebackers.
Against fast edge rushers, he has struggled with pass sets and is overcompensated for their speed. He tends to be indecisive about who to block on defensive line stunts. He has a tight stance that causes big steps that push him out of position against better competition.
He has a tendency to get hold penalties as well, which has cost his team. Also, Cross only played in a zone-style scheme in college and may have issues learning how to play in a pro-style run blocking scheme.
Trait-Based Projection
Charles Cross is a tackle with good technique and was a strong anchor at Mississippi State. He has continually progressed in his career and has become an even better tackle.
His average quickness has led to him just playing left tackle in college, and he will likely thrive at playing left tackle in the NFL. He is also inexperienced in how to run block in a pro-style scheme and would probably benefit from being drafted by a spread-style offense that runs a more zone-style scheme.