STARKVILLE – Mississippi State head football coach Mike Leach has praised the improvement of his offensive line through the previous three games, but left tackle Charles Cross has been the anchor of the unit since Week 1.
Cross provides a 6-foot-5-inch, 310-pound presence protecting Will Rogers' blindside.
An All-SEC freshman last season, Cross has continued his strides toward becoming an NFL prospect in this his redshirt sophomore season.
Cross has the 13th-best offensive grade (85.4) in the nation among tackles, according to Pro Football Focus.
Cross has allowed two sacks and 12 hurries on 615 passing snaps this season.
"He has got really good feet," Leach said of Cross on Monday. "We put him in a position to play early to begin with. He’s got really good feet which allowed him when he was smaller to center guys up and square up guys. Now, he has gotten bigger. He was able to play as a freshman, so I think that logging those reps and experience has helped him quite a lot."
»DANCING WITH THE 'DOGS: Leach attempts to dance in MSU celebration
Here is where Cross sits among notable NFL draft boards:
CBS Sports
Chris Trapasso has Cross going 15th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Trapasso praises Cross' athleticism and "All-Pro upside."
NBC Sports
Glynn Morgan is a bit higher on Cross than Trapasso, picking the MSU left tackle to go ninth to the New York Giants.
Pro Football Focus
Michael Renner sees Cross going to the Miami Dolphins at No. 13.
Renner considers Cross one of the most tested left tackles in the draft class.
ESPN
Rather than the typical mock draft, Todd McShay released a list of his top prospects Tuesday morning.
Cross came in at No. 6. McShay echoed some of what Leach said of Cross while also praising the left tackle's patience and ability to read defenses.