INDIANAPOLIS — The Pittsburgh Steelers have met with Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross at the 2022 NFL Combine, Cross said on Thursday.
“I met the whole staff,” Cross said. “We talked a little football. I feel like it’s a great organization. They’re doing some great things. I definitely enjoyed it.”
The Steelers have been linked to Cross in multiple mock drafts, but with the No. 20 pick in the first round, it might be tough for them to land him. Cross’ average draft position on the NFL Mock Draft Database has risen from the bottom of the first round to its current spot at No. 9 since the end of the 2022 season.
Cross is seen as a top pass protector in the class, coming out of Mike Leach’s Air Raid scheme. The Bulldogs threw the ball 73.6% of the time in 2021. They finished first in the nation with an average of 54.2 pass attempts per game.
That’s seen as a big benefit in a league looking for pass protectors. Cross is projected to be able to stick at left tackle in the NFL for that reason.
The Steelers have an incumbent left tackle in Dan Moore Jr., but Moore struggled with consistency during his rookie season, and with right tackle Chukwuma Okorafor set to his free agency, the team will need to add at least one tackle during this offseason. Backups Joe Haeg and Zach Banner are currently under contract to return.
Cross has a local connection, as well. He was recruited to Mississippi State by then-Bulldogs head coach and Pittsburgh native Joe Moorhead.
