Tag: charles cross

Giants take two offensive linemen in latest CBS Sports mock draft

In the latest 2022 mock draft from CBS Sports, the New York Giants take two offensive linemen in back-to-back picks.

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The New York Giants are 4-9 and there’s not much to look forward to except the future. That means mock drafts ad nauseum for the next four months.

In his latest mock drat, Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports has the Giants picking fifth and sixth overall in the first round with the pick they received from the Chicago Bears last year and their own selection.

Here’s how it panned out.

With the No. 5 overall pick, Wilson has the Giants selecting Charles Cross.

No. 5 (from Chicago) – Charles Cross, OL Mississippi State

The Giants have an opportunity to take two of the best defenders in this class but instead pass on Derek Stingley and Kyle Hamilton to bolster an offensive line in desperate need of it. This may be high for Cross, but he is a high-upside athletic offensive tackle who had a stellar season for Mississippi State.

With the very next pick, No. 6 overall, the Giants nab Tyler Lindenboum.

No. 6 – Tyler Lindenboum, OL Iowa

Linderbaum is one of the best offensive linemen in the country, and while sixth overall seems way too high for a center, a) Linderbaum is that good, b) the Giants lost Nick Gates to injury, c) his replacement has struggled, and the O-line could stand to be upgraded.

This is long overdue and can be considered closing the barn doors after the horse have run out. General manager Dave Gettleman is most likely not going to be around to make these picks, so we really aren’t sure what the new strategy will be.

A new football czar could be hired meaning everyone could be sent packing from head coach Joe Judge and his staff to quarterback Daniel Jones and running back Saquon Barkley.

That aside, starting a build from the inside out makes sense either way. Gettleman has been adding skill players to the roster by the droves and has basically abandoned his initial plan to build with ‘hog mollies.’ The results have shown in the standings.

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Dolphins take an offensive tackle in Draft Wire’s most recent mock

Miami needs to shore up their offensive line one way or another.

With the Philadelphia Eagles owning the Miami Dolphins’ first draft selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, and the Dolphins owning the San Francisco 49ers’ pick, Miami has no control of their own destiny in the first round.

Right now, Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyle Shanahan have led the 49ers to a 6-6 record, which is currently good enough to be the last seed in the NFC playoff picture. If they were to finish in that position, the Dolphins would get the 19th overall pick.

In their most recent mock draft, Draft Wire has Miami selecting Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross with the pick.

Here’s what Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling had to say about this potential selection:

“It’s sad how bad this offensive line still is, considering how many early draft picks the Dolphins have invested recently in this unit. They need to keep swinging, though, if Tua Tagovailoa is going to reach his full potential. Cross has tons of potential, and has been tested against some of the nation’s best pass rushers.”

Jesse Davis and Liam Eichenberg have been failed experiments to this point, knowing that the latter is still adjusting to the pro level, so it’s extremely likely that tackle will be targeted early in this draft or in free agency. They can’t continue to rely on the 76th-ranked and 80th-ranked tackles, according to Pro Football Focus.

Cross’ ability as a run blocker hasn’t been tested all that much because of Mike Leach’s Air Raid system that he’s played in at Mississippi State, however, being in the SEC, his pass blocking should be up to the NFL standard’s.

It’s unknown whether or not Tagovailoa is going to be the starting quarterback of the future, but either way, someone needs to be protecting whoever it is that’s taking snaps for this team going forward.

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Giants pass on quarterback, address trenches in latest PFF mock draft

The New York Giants pass on a QB in the latest PFF mock draft, instead focusing on greater areas of need both offensively and defensively.

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Who will be calling the shots for the New York Giants when they find themselves on the clock in the 2022 NFL draft? As of right now, it’s anyone’s guess.

What can be guessed however, is who the Giants will take with their two first-round picks. And although many believe it will be a quarterback, Michael Renner of Pro Football Focus expects New York to go in a different direction.

In Renner’s latest mock draft, he has the Giants selecting Purdue edge rusher George Karlaftis with the No. 6 overall pick.

6. NEW YORK GIANTS (VIA CHICAGO): EDGE GEORGE KARLAFTIS, PURDUE

Karlaftis was one of the most consistent edge-rushers in the country this past season, finishing with a 90.6 pass-rushing grade. He’s got inside-outside versatility and a motor that won’t quit. At 275 pounds, he’d be a decidedly different kind of edge rusher across from the speedier Azeez Ojulari.

With the very next pick, Renner again shies away from a quarterback. Instead, he has the Giants addressing their most obvious need with the selection of Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross.

7. NEW YORK GIANTS: OT CHARLES CROSS, MISSISSIPPI STATE

The Giants need pass protection in any way, shape or form they can get it. Cross can bring that to the tackle position when Nate Solder moves on. He allowed only 16 pressures on a ridiculous 719 pass-blocking snaps this season.

Cross is certainly rising up draft boards but at No. 7 overall? That might be a little too high for right now, but we’ll see how that perception changes in the coming weeks and months.

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Colts select OT Charles Cross in ridiculously early 2022 mock draft

Colts go OT in a 2022 mock.

The 2021 NFL draft just ended with the Indianapolis Colts making seven picks throughout the big weekend, but it’s never too early to look ahead at a mock draft for the 2022 class.

Okay, fine, it may be way too early to be looking ahead to the 2022 class. The newest additions for the Colts just started rookie minicamp and are still getting acclimated to life in the NFL.

That said, the here’s who the Colts took in Mark Schofield’s “ridiculously  early” 2022 mock draft for Touchdown Wire:

No. 23 overall: OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State

The Philadelphia Eagles could have three picks in the first round, and that depends on what Carson Wentz does during the 2021 season. As part of the terms of the Wentz trade the Colts included a conditional selection with these terms: If the quarterback plays on 75% of the Colts’ offensive snaps in 2021, or if he plays on 70% of the snaps AND the Colts make the playoffs, the Eagles will receive Indianapolis’ 2022 first-round selection. If Wentz fails to hit those numbers, the Eagles will receive the Colts’ 2022 second-round selection. Let’s take the “glass half-empty” approach and assume Wentz does not meet those conditions, and therefore give Colts fans a reason to read this mock draft.

Despite the retirement of Anthony Castonzo, the Colts did not add to the offensive line until the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft, so this could be a position the team addresses early in 2022. Charles Cross was impressive last year in his first season starting at left tackle, and if he continues to impress he could leave school after the end of his redshirt sophomore season, making him an option for the Colts next draft.

It is likely the Colts don’t have their first-round pick next season. If all goes according to plan with Wentz, Ballard will be without a first-rounder for the third time in four years.

Of course, there is no guarantee with that given Wentz’s injury history. But the Colts are planning on being without a premium pick in the 2022 draft, hoping the move for Wentz was worth it.

Adding to the offensive line might wind up being the Colts’ biggest objective throughout next offseason depending on what they do at left tackle leading up to the season. They hosted Eric Fisher on a visit and have interest in Charles Leno Jr. following his release from the Chicago Bears.

The college football season is far from arriving but Cross should be on the list of potential prospects to watch for the Colts in the fall.