Carolina Panthers: First Round Targets in the 2022 NFL Draft
Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State
The Carolina Panthers need to address their offensive line in the 2022 NFL Draft, specifically the tackle spots. They signed former Rams guard Austin Corbett to a significant 3-year $26.25 million deal to shore up the interior, but as it stands now their starting tackles are Cam Erving and Taylor Moton. They’ll surely select a tackle in the 2022 NFL Draft, but if they don’t do so in the 1st round, they’ll have to wait until the 4th, barring any trades.
Which makes selecting a tackle at #6 that much more appealing. Mississippi State’s Charles Cross has the requisite size (6’5” 307) and pedigree (he was a five-star prospect coming out of high school) that would justify being picked this high. It also helps that he’s young; he’ll be merely 21 years old during week one of the 2022 NFL season. With tackles it’s mostly about pass blocking, and so it goes with Charles Cross.
He played in Mike Leach’s Air Raid system with the Bulldogs and showed nice technique when it came to pass blocking. Cross was able to deftly utilize his strength and length to keep pass rushers at bay as well as play with superior leverage. He did a good job of staying on balance and often made it difficult for pass rushers to get to the quarterback.
Despite his fluidity and his athleticism, Charles Cross may have to work on his run blocking technique. This is because he wasn’t asked to run block as much, as the Air Raid offense involves a disproportionate number of passing plays in relation to running plays. Nevertheless, Cross is an athletic tackle and uses his hands well, so he should be able to learn how to be an above average run blocker eventually.
If the Carolina Panthers select him, they may be looking for a quarterback through the trade market (Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo) or may simply wait for the next crop of young QBs to come out next year (CJ Stroud and Bryce Young). They’ll want to protect the quarterback regardless of who it is by improving the tackle spots during the 2022 NFL Draft. They may even turn to a small school player to fill the void.