Field Gulls
Cross had his fifth-year option picked up by the Seahawks, a rarity for the team. Can he make that next step as a top left tackle?
After two promising seasons, Charles Cross has established himself in 2024 as one of the pillars of the Seahawks’ offensive line. The left tackle, chosen ninth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, has made a notable technical leap, especially in pass protection, demonstrating improvements in both efficiency and consistency.
As he approaches the end of his rookie contract, has he shown enough to believe he can become elite?
Reaching an extension this offseason could represent an even greater salary cap savings than exercising the fifth-year option, while waiting another year until Cross is in the final year of his contract could burn more salary cap than the team saved by exercising the option.
With his performance in 2024, Charles Cross strengthens his case for a future contract extension. Given the recent offensive tackle market — where names like Penei Sewell (5 years, $112M) and Jordan Mailata (3 years, $66M) have signed extensions — it’s reasonable to project that Cross could fetch somewhere in the $22–25 million per year range, making him one of the highest-paid LTs in the NFL.
If that sounds like a lot, consider these “absurd” numbers:
Walker Little, Jacksonville Jaguars (26): $40.5M, $13.5M per year;
Jaylon Moore, Kansas City Chiefs (27): $30M, $15M per year;
Alaric Jackson, Los Angeles Rams (27): $57.75M, $19.25M per year;
Dan Moore Jr., Tennessee Titans (27): 4 years, $82M, $20.5M per year;
Andrew Thomas, New York Giants (26): 5 years, $117.5M, $23.5M per year;
Christian Darrisaw, Minnesota Vikings (26): 4 years, $104M, $26M per year;
Overall Grade: 82.5 — 10th among 140 NFL tackles .
Pass Block Grade: 81.3 (15th in the league) .
Run Block Grade: 77.9 (16th in the league) .
Snaps played: 1,094 (7th among 140 tackles), 724 snaps as a pass-blocker (2nd) .
Penalties: 8 (110th/140)
Sacks allowed: 6 (120th/140)
Pressures allowed: 47 .
These numbers show a clear jump: he went from middling grades in 2022/23 to being in the top 10 in 2024 . Ranked among the 101 best players by PFF (ranked No. 89), the only OL for Seattle recognized this year .
Early in the season, he stood out as the best OT in the league in the first few weeks, with zero pressures allowed and a 90.2 grade from PFF . In Week 1, opponents like the Denver Broncos were unable to pressure him, and he had a 96.1 grade in run blocking.
In 2024, Charles Cross allowed just 23 total pressures, including 4 sacks, over 17 starts. His pass-blocking efficiency was 96.9%, according to PFF data, which put him in the top 10 in the league among LTs with at least 500 passing snaps.
Comparing to the elite:
Player (LT) Pressures Given Sacks Given Efficiency (PFF):
