Charles Cross looks tailormade for the Carolina Panthers at No. 6

Mississippi State left tackle Charles Cross fits the mold of what Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule looks for in a premier offensive lineman.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what the Carolina Panthers need to do as a matter of urgency this offseason. A terrible offensive line brought little in the way of consistent protection in 2021, which left whoever was under center running for their lives almost from start to finish and especially in key moments.

Teams abused Carolina’s line to such an extent that one couldn’t help but wonder just what head coach Matt Rhule and other personnel decision-makers were thinking in terms of recruitment last time around. Gambling on underperforming veterans such as Cam Erving and Pat Elflein was a disaster, with the team waiting until the third round to take a college prospect also coming in for severe criticism throughout the campaign.

That is going to change this offseason.

Or it should, at least.

The Panthers are sitting at No. 6 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Had they been in this position last year, then it’s highly likely Oregon‘s stud tackle Penei Sewell would have been the pick before he went to the Detroit Lions at No. 7.

However, there is still a chance for Carolina to acquire a premier protector. But the temptation to trade down with no Day 2 pick is obvious.

If the Panthers stand pat and Evan Neal is off the board as expected, there are a number of other intriguing prospects worthy of consideration. In Mel Kiper Jr.’s first mock draft of the offseason, the respected analyst had Carolina selecting Mississippi State‘s Charles Cross, which wouldn’t be the worst pick in the world by any stretch.

Charles Cross should be a top target for the Carolina Panthers in 2022

Cross has all the makings of a Day 1 left tackle at the next level. More importantly, Cross is in play because he fits the mold of what Rhule covets in his offensive lineman.

Much was made during the season about the former Baylor man’s public comments surrounding Brady Christensen and Rashawn Slater’s arm length. This should have been kept to himself, but it’s evident this is a physical attribute Rhule clearly values highly and something Cross has in abundance.

Cross is lengthy and has the athleticism to match. He gave up just two sacks and did not allow a single quarterback hit in 2021 despite coming up against some top-quality opposition in the SEC.

His leverage and explosiveness to the point of attack are nothing short of exceptional. Cross plays with a nasty streak that enables him to finish off plays aggressively, assisting with aplomb in pass protection or generating running lanes.

There is an effortless technique to Cross that already looks NFL-ready. But it’s hard to gauge just how efficient he’ll be on running downs considering he’s played within the Bulldogs’ Air Raid offense at the college level.

Cross’ intelligence should ensure this isn’t too much of a problem. The Panthers and others will be highly impressed with the player and the man away from the gridiron, so it would be a huge shock if he wasn’t high on Carolina’s draft board when it’s finalized.

Selecting Cross would allow Christensen to move onto the interior, which is where Rhule still feels he is best suited. If the prospect transitions as expected, then he could be the franchise left tackle Carolina’s been looking for ever since Jordan Gross retired.

Just which way the Panthers will eventually go is going to come with some significant ramifications. If Rhule gets it wrong, then it might just cost him his job.