Round 3 – Pick 76

Saahdiq Charles, OT, LSU

Height: 6-4

Weight: 295

Class: Junior

D.O.B.: 7/26/99

Statistical Profile: Charles won’t turn 21 years old until this summer, yet he still brings three years of starting experience to the table, including 28 starts in 32 games at LSU. Charles has seen 26 of those starts come at left tackle, while one has been at right tackle and another at right guard. Those numbers would have been higher if not for a six-game suspension for disciplinary reasons this past season.

Scouting Charles: I’ve been scouting draft prospects for seven years now, and Charles has one of the most seesaw reports I’ve ever done. The highs make your eyes pop and the lows make you put your face in your hands and there are plenty of both in every single game. It’s a wild ride.

First of all, forget everything that is typical of three-year college starters, because Charles often looks like a newborn baby offensive tackle taking his pass sets for the first time. And then other times he looks like an All-Pro with elite athleticism and strength.

At his best you’re getting vice grip strength, extremely active and athletic feet and the ability to recover in almost impossible fashion after being seemingly discarded by his opponent. Charles also can be slow with his hands (see GIF below), let his weight out over his toes and land himself in some really ugly-looking situations. He’s unorthodox, raw and a beautiful mess of a technician.

Charles’ pass sets are typically too short, allowing edge rushers quick access to the apex of the arc. The only problem is that Charles’ range once he gets moving is absolutely elite, allowing him to cover ground and stop way more cornering efforts than he should. Some are borderline holds but he keeps his feet moving and vice-grips the opponent, so he gets away with it a ton.

Charles can get walked back by bull rushers or stand them up and lock ’em down for a 10-count. You never know what you’re going to get. Typically if you don’t have a secondary plan of attack when your first move doesn’t land, Charles is gonna crush you. He has that mentality and strength.

Mentally, Charles really impressed me in the tape I’ve studied so far. He identifies late blitzers well, passes off stunts smoothly, stays on a level with his guard and will look for work when he’s uncovered. That’s a really good sign that he’s up to the task of improvement at the next level, at least from the neck up.

Charles is one of the most flexible offensive linemen I’ve ever scouted, showing elite leverage and a minimal target area for defenders to get their hands on. Unfortunately that is probably the case because he’s smaller than most offensive linemen, and may be billed as a guard by the NFL. Charles’ athletic traits would be elite there, but he may struggle with the long-levered, power-types inside until he becomes a better technician.

Bucs Fit: The Combine will go a long way toward telling us what position the NFL sees Charles playing at the next level, but he could be a good mid-round pickup for the Bucs. He needs polish and technical work, but Charles’ athleticism, flexibility and strength are ideal for the position, and most tackles out of college need work anyway. Re-sign Demar Dotson for a year as Charles won’t even be in position to start as a rookie.

There are character concerns to be vetted here, but if those check out, the Bucs could do a lot worse than Charles in Round 3. They may even be able to trade down to acquire him, adding another Day 3 pick for depth purposes. This clearly isn’t an optimal way to address the team’s offensive tackle concerns, but if they do decide to wait on the position, Charles may be the best of what is left in Round 3.

CLICK ON PAGE 3 FOR MY DAY 3 SCOUTING REPORT