September 18, 2022; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa (97) rushes against Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Charles Cross (67) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Charles Cross climbs: PFF has Seattle Seahawks OT ranked top-15 in NFL

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Matt Urben | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 1:30 PM ET

The Seattle Seahawks' offensive line gets a lot of flack from the media, but left tackle Charles Cross is slowly helping to change that narrative. Selected with the ninth overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Cross has started 48 games over the last three seasons.

The former Mississippi State standout has developed into one of the more well-rounded offensive tackles in the league. Cross has shown dramatic improvement since his rookie season and took an even bigger jump in 2024.

Pro Football Focus ranked the top 32 offensive tackles ahead of the 2025 NFL season. While only one of Seattle's two offensive tackles made the list, Cross landed at No. 13 on PFF's list.

"Despite playing on arguably the worst offensive line in football, Cross enjoyed a breakout season in his third NFL season," wrote PFF's Zoltán Buday. "After allowing pressure on 8.1% of pass plays in each of his first two seasons, he gave up pressure on just 7.0% of pass plays and his 81.3 PFF pass-blocking grade ranked 13th at the position in 2024. Cross fared well in run blocking, too, evidenced by his 15th-ranked 77.9 PFF run-blocking grade."

Cross could still improve in some areas. According to PFF, he was penalized eight times while giving up six sacks. Going forward, Cross should continue to be the anchor of Seattle's offensive line.

The team gave the former top-10 pick some help over the offseason, using a first-round pick on North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel. The rookie is projected to start next to Cross this season at left guard

While the rest of the unit may take some time to gel, Cross gives quarterback Sam Darnold at least one offensive lineman he can count on in 2025.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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