ESPN’s latest edition of positional breakdowns focused on offensive tackles. As a Seattle Seahawks fan, I was eager to see what, if any, kind of love Charles Cross would receive. As it turns out, the Seahawks’ cornerstone left tackle was recognized, but only at the lowest level available, in “others receiving votes.”
Was this a fair ranking, or should Cross have been moved up a spot or two?
Offensive line is extremely difficult to judge. If you don’t literally watch every snap, you are apt to be swayed by reputation and/or one or two big plays. The old saying about referees applies to linemen at every level of football. If you don’t hear their names called, chances are they are doing their job pretty well.
Cross’s name was not called very often in 2024. As such, it is easy to take him for granted. On the flip side, since he has been far and away the best lineman on the Seahawks, it may be easier for Seattle fans to overvalue him.
How does Seahawks' Charles Cross stack up against the league’s elite tackles?
Abe Lucas was injured for too much of 2024 to be a factor, and Seattle did not have any backups worthy of attention, so if you are ranking outside edge protectors for the Hawks, Cross is your only consideration.
According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Cross was a top ten tackle in 2024. He finished the season tied for ninth with Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs, according to the PFF grading system.
But Cross was not in ESPN’s top ten. Nor was he one of six honorable mentions. The tier in which he landed – “others receiving votes” (ORV) – included eight other players. Therefore, based on the ESPN results, you can say Cross is one of the 24 best tackles in the league.
I’d go higher than that, moving him into the honorable mention category.
The first half of the ESPN top ten is largely beyond debate. Wirfs (remember – the player tied with Cross in PFF rankings) finished first, followed by Detroit's Penei Sewell, Philly’s Lane Johnson, San Fran’s Trent Williams, and Philly’s Jordan Mailata.
Williams missed much of 2024, so I suppose you could question his inclusion, but the future first-ballot Hall of Famer is still a mighty force on the field. The other four were all first or Second-Team All-Pros last year.
The second half of the top ten is a little iffier. You cannot realistically move Cross ahead of Rashawn Slater, and even though he may have fallen off a bit, you cannot really move him ahead of Laremy Tunsil either. Dion Dawkins has a surprisingly low PFF grade, only ranking 33rd amongst all tackles in 2024, but that seems absurd. Dawkins, who placed eighth on the ESPN list, is a borderline top-ten tackle.
Numbers nine and ten, despite obvious talent, were out for much of last year. Maybe you leave Minnesota’s Christian Darrisaw where he is, but you cannot rank the Giants’ Andrew Thomas in the top ten. He has enormous potential, but has played in just 16 games over the past two seasons. Could Thomas fall below Cross? Based on his unavailability – yes.
Moving into the honorable mention category, several players like the Falcons’ Jake Matthews and Las Vegas’s Kolton Miller are reasonable choices. But Baltimore’s Ronnie Stanley, once just about the best in the league, has slowed down in recent years.
On the opposite end, the Chargers’ Joe Alt entered the league with advanced pass blocking skills, but still needs work as a run blocker. Alt one day could top this list, but he is not there yet.
The thing about Cross is that he is a very steady player who does everything at an advanced level. Cross’ pass blocking win rate was actually higher than that of Sewell. He was the equal of many of the players ranked ahead of him, with a lot more chances than most. (Yes – Seattle threw the ball too often last year.)
Meanwhile, his run block win rate fell just outside the league’s top ten. He is probably second only to Philly’s Lane Johnson in being the most complete tackle in the league, considering his combination of pass and run blocking.
And then there’s this. Top-rated Tristan Wirfs was flagged for three holding calls in 2024. That’s pretty good for a starting left tackle who plays an entire season. Several other players in the top ten were called for just two holds. No one was caught more than four times in the top ten.
Charles Cross had one holding penalty in more than 1,000 snaps. The only two players who matched that number in ESPN’s top ten were Darrisaw and Thomas, who combined did not play nearly as many snaps as Cross in 2024.
Cross may not be the dominant figure that Mailata is or a spectacular athlete like Sewell. He isn’t a road grading run blocker like Johnson. I would never argue Cross should be in their company on a list like this.
But he is a very steady, very effective left tackle who deserves a spot in the second tier of these rankings. Perhaps next season, with better talent around him and a more sensible offensive strategy in place, he will get that recognition.
It would be nice, but it would not make Seattle any better on the field. That has little to do with Charles Cross right now. That has a lot more to do with Abe Lucas, or whoever ends up playing right tackle for Seattle down the road. Six NFL teams had both of their starting tackles recognized on the ESPN list. All six teams were in the playoffs. Their average record for 2024 was 13-4.
Want a cheat code for making the playoffs? Get two really good tackles. Seattle already has one piece in Cross, regardless of whether ESPN properly ranked him or not. Now, they need the other bookend.