The LSU Tigers have been churning out top NFL prospects for years now, and the 2020 draft class will be no exception.
One of this year’s top offerings is Saahdiq Charles, one of the more promising offensive tackle prospects in this year’s group.
Charles recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his experience at the NFL Scouting Combine, the chemistry he built with his teammates in the trenches, and what kind of impact he’ll make a the next level.
JM: It’s been a few months, but I still feel like I should address you as National Champion Saahdiq Charles. How does it feel?
SC: It feels great. It was nice to reap the fruits of our labor. We put in so much hard work to get into the position that we did. To finish things off strong was a great feeling. We couldn’t ask for anything more than to become national champions. It was great for all of us.
JM: You’re an experienced offensive tackle, and you were one of many leaders on that team. How does that experience serve you well going forward?
SC: It serves me well because I know what it takes to win. I understand the amount of work that goes into winning. It’s all about putting in the extra work. I learned how to play my part on a great offensive line. It’s the small details that make up a great unit. We put in a lot of extra work both on and off the field. It paid off for us.
JM: What can you tell me about the chemistry that you guys had up front?
SC: We were a tight-knit group. Lloyd Cushenberry III and I just got off the phone this morning. We still talk all the time. We talk about what we’re going through and the process. Damien Lewis and I are 15 minutes down the road from each other in Mississippi. We’re really close. We’re great friends. My left guard Adrian Magee and I have a great relationship. We were such a tight knit group. We knew how to play well together.
JM: What was your experience like at the NFL Scouting Combine?
SC: It was a good experience. I killed my interviews. I feel great about how my interviews went. I think I did really well. I passed all of my medicals with flying colors. I had a little situation that prevented me from participating in most of the drills unfortunately. The medicals and the interviews went really well.
JM: Does that mean you had a lot of formal and informal interviews?
SC: Yeah, I had a lot of both actually.
JM: Who are some of the teams that you met with formally?
SC: I met with the Chiefs, Redskins, Patriots, Packers, Vikings, Eagles, Dolphins and more. I met with so many teams.
JM: know that your private visit and workout schedule has been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, but I’m curious as to which teams you were supposed to meet with? Were you able to get any of those meetings in before things got shut down?
SC: I was able to get one meeting in beforehand. I went to Philadelphia this past week on Thursday (March 12th). I had a few other visits set up. It was a little early so we hadn’t confirmed any dates yet but I was well aware of some of the teams I was supposed to meet with. I had them locked in.
JM: Who are some of the teams that you were supposed to meet with?
SC: I had meetings set up with the Bears, Packers, Redskins, Chiefs and Patriots. We’ll see what happens. Nobody knows what’s really happening right now.
JM: What was the strangest question you were asked at the combine?
SC: I wasn’t really asked anything strange. We just discussed football and my history really. We mostly talked about my game and what I bring to the table. I didn’t have any weird questions.
JM: Playing at LSU afforded you the opportunity to play against some of the best competition college football has to offer. Who are some of the best pass rushers you’ve ever gone up against?
SC: I faced some great pass rushers in my time at LSU. Marlon Davidson from Auburn definitely stands out. Of course I went up against my own teammates throughout the years. K’Lavon Chaisson and Arden Key come to mind. I’ve seen so many good pass rushers in my day. I’m ready for what comes next.
JM: Joe Burrow is the best quarterback in the draft. What was it like to block for him every day in practice? What did you learn from how he prepares?
SC: I’m a guy that takes pride in keeping my quarterback clean. Joe is one of my good friends. I had to make sure his jersey was still white at the end of the game (laughs). He’s a great leader. We had so many leaders, both on offense and defense. I can’t single out one guy as the main leader of the team. We had so many leaders. Joe is a great guy. He was obviously a big leader for us being that he was our quarterback. He was vocal when he needed to be. He lead by example. The way he played the game was just terrific.
JM: It’s funny, I interviewed your teammate Rashard Lawrence recently, and he was a team captain on defense. I asked him how practicing against Joe Burrow made him a better player. He told me he’s not sure that it did. Joe killed the defense so much in practice that it was demoralizing (laughs).
SC: That’s absolutely hilarious (laughs). Damien Lewis and I actually talked about this other day. Going into the season after fall camp is when we really started to realize that this team could be special. We spent so many days together during that fall camp. We were going up against that defense and we knew that this offense was something else. We were playing really well in fall camp and we knew it wasn’t because the defense was bad. In fact, the defense was really good and full of star players. Joe was throwing the ball all over the field. After about a week of fall practice we all knew that we had something exciting on our hands. We knew we had a great offensive line and we knew that we could win a championship.
JM: What kind of impact is Saahdiq Charles going to make at the next level?
SC: An NFL team is gonna get a guy that knows how to win. I’m gonna help push the culture forward and be a great teammate to the guys in the locker room. I can’t wait to give back to the game that I’ve always loved.
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