NFL teams meeting with individual players are a significant part of the draft process. These meetings can happen at the NFL Scouting Combine, pro days, the Senior Bowl, the East-West Shrine Bowl or a private workout.
For fans following the process, these meetings are sort of like poker tells for the draft, as they indicate what positions a team could be focusing on. Do teams draft players they haven’t met with? Yes, they do. It happens all the time, but they have often spoken to other players at that position.
Who have the Baltimore Ravens met with so far? Usually, a good list to check is at WalterFootball.com, but with the state of the world as it is, it has become a tad tougher to find those tea leaves.
So far, teams have had access to players at the various bowl showcases (like the Senior or East-West Shrine Bowls). The combine starts Feb. 28, then Pro Days begin. Therefore, I am going to profile players you should know and who the Ravens could select in the 2022 draft. Today is Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross. Let’s get to know him better.
Tale of the Tape
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 310 pounds
Strengths: Cross made 22 starts at left tackle; explosive, balanced and smooth in pass protection; quick to get set and has solid hand placement; football IQ is above-average; almost seems to know what the defense is about to do before the snap; excellent footwork and ideal length for the position.
Areas For Improvement: His run blocking is not a strength right now. To be fair, he wasn’t asked to do much of it at Mississippi State. He has the strength and athleticism to do it, but it needs work right now. Needs to add some bulk, had trouble from time to time with bull-rushers.
Other Notes: Was a five-star recruit out of high school; was voted to the 2020 All-SEC Freshman team by coaches.
NFL Player Comparison: Ryan Clady, Andrew Thomas
Draft Projection: Cross will be a first-round pick, maybe even in the top five, but a run-heavy team like the Ravens may have better options due to his inexperience in the run game.
Photo Credit: Austin Perryman/MSU Athletics