11. Saahdiq Charles, LSU
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 321
40-Yard Dash: 5.05 seconds
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: N/A
Broad Jump: N/A
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: A New Orleans native whose family was displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Charles became a prized recruit after his family settled in Mississippi. He chose LSU over Ole Miss, returning home and helping the Tigers win the national championship in his junior season of 2019, but he also missed six games for disciplinary reasons. He missed three games the year before to injury, but started at left tackle, right tackle, and guard in his freshman campaign.
“I am a fast-twitch player,” Charles said of himself at the scouting combine. “I can play out in space. Physical. I can finish.”
“Terron Armstead, Trent Williams,” he said, when asked which tackles he models himself after.”Both of them are fast-twitch players. Not on the taller side of the bunch, but they get the job done, just like I [try to].”
Stat to Know: LSU backs averaged 7.3 yards per carry, and 3.3 yards per carry before contact, when running to Charles’ gap in 2019. That’s a massive upgrade from Charles’ 4.7 and 2.3 in 2018.
Strengths: Natural pass-setter who will occasionally let edge-rushers creep into his kitchen, but displays the strength to finish the rep. Attacks well with his hands to counter bull-rushes and has the root leverage and strength to avoid getting bent back. Gets wide in his stance on occasion, but will latch through the rep to avoid losing pass rush on the back side of the pocket.
Weaknesses: Latches in pass pro and in the run game can quickly turn into holds — Charles can be great when he puts it all together, but he’s not consistent with his technique. Can take straight-on rushes; is less certain with stunts and counters. Has to play with ideal leverage, or his lack of core power will stand out.
Conclusion: There are times when Charles looks like a first-round talent, as was the case when he gave Alabama’s Terrell Lewis all he could handle. Then, you turn on other games, and it’s like you’re seeing a different player. Some teams might overlook Charles’ relative lack of experience when looking at his potential, but there is a definite “buyer beware” element here. Charles will need a tough and patient O-line coach at the NFL level to bring out everything he can be. If that happens, he’ll be a major steal.
NFL Comparison: Cedric Ogbuehi. The Bengals took Ogbuehi in the first round in the 2015 draft, hoping that his obvious athleticism would offset concerns about his technique and leverage. Things haven’t worked out for Ogbuehi, despite his talent, and Charles could be on a similar path, for all the good tape.