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# What Does ‘Next Step’ Look Like for Seahawks LT Charles Cross?
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/charles-cross-next-step-seattle-seahawk-fourth-season/
- Published: 2025-06-04T04:37:11.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:37:14.000Z
- Author: Nick Lee
- Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, NFL Draft, Charles Cross

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="887"\]

![  Seattle Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross blocks against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Credit: Charles Cross/Instagram  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/472824424_18463249951064570_3220018922201135873_n-format-original.jpg)

Seattle Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross blocks against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Credit: Charles Cross/Instagram \[/caption\]

Whenever a left tackle is taken in the top 10 of an NFL draft, the expectation is that they will be the franchise’s cornerstone piece at left tackle for at least the next five-plus years, and hopefully a decade. That is certainly what the Seahawks front office and fans hoped they would see out of Charles Cross.

Seattle took Cross ninth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. He instantly became the starter at left tackle without having to fend off any competition. Certainly, there have been some growing pains and he hasn’t been an early Pro Bowler like the dream top prospect would be.

That doesn’t mean Cross has not been a good pick for Seattle, however. Through three seasons, he has steadily improved. When he missed three games due to injury in 2023, it was noticeable. That should say plenty.

Just looking at Pro Football Focus grades, Cross’ overall grade has improved each season. As a rookie, he checked in at 63.7\. That ranked 24th among full-time left tackles. In 2023, that improved slightly to 67.7, ranking 19th.

Last season, it appeared Cross had taken a further step forward. During the first month of the season, when Seattle’s schedule was on the lighter side, he was among the highest-rated tackles in all of football. When the schedule toughened up, his grades dipped a bit but he stood up to the challenge. While he didn’t earn a Pro Bowl nod, he certainly reached a new level. His PFF grade jumped to 82.5, which was good enough for seventh. 

Yes, Cross was basically the seventh-best left tackle in the NFL last season. Four or five usually make the Pro Bowl, leaving him just short. His pass blocking efficiency tapered off, leaving him 21st among left tackles in that category. He does deserve some grace, as he was head-and-shoulders the best offensive lineman on Seattle’s roster, thus, he had little help next to him. 

Now, with additional help to his right, and another year under his belt, what does year four look like for Cross? If he takes that next step, what does that look like? 

Seattle issued the rare fifth-year option pick-up for Cross, which guarantees him a salary of $17.56 million for the 2026 season. That speaks volumes to how much the Seahawks value him internally. You can’t just go to your local warehouse store and pick out a new left tackle. They are hard to find and even harder to keep. 

The easy answer for his next step is to make a Pro Bowl. Cross was right on the cusp before a tough stretch towards the end of the 2024 season pushed him out of the circle. 

Taylor Decker seems like a good bar for Cross in 2025\. He earned his first Pro Bowl bid last year, as the Lions’ left tackle. His numbers and grades were not overwhelmingly better than Cross. In fact, he even allowed two more sacks than Cross, according to PFF. However, he allowed 16 less pressures. 

Decker taking nine seasons after being the 16th overall pick in 2016 to reach his first Pro Bowl further illustrates that a left tackle’s progression is not always as linear as fans would like. Using that as context, Cross has allowed between 42 and 48 pressures in all three seasons, and setting a new career low at 41 or less should be a good goal to start.

Cross doesn’t need to become Walter Jones to validate his being the No. 9 overall pick a few years ago. He simply needs to establish himself as a franchise left tackle and a steadying presence in an ever-shifting offensive line in Seattle. He has already done that, to a degree. 

Expecting Cross to reach that next level as a Pro Bowler is not unrealistic. With a solidified offensive line around him, his overall numbers and grades should improve as he has to do less of the heavy lifting all by himself.