SAAHDIQ CHARLES, OT, LSU: NO. 69On the field,
Saahdiq Charles is a tricky evaluation. Take his 10 best plays from every game, it’ll look like Lane Johnson’s film. Take his 10 worst plays and I don't even think he's draftable. I'm not sure there's a more up-and-down player in this class with a wider range of outcomes.
Off the field, Charles is a tricky evaluation. He was suspended for six games in the 2019 championship LSU season for what he called a "selfish and stupid mistake" at the combine, but the exact character of that mistake has been chalked up to a “violation of team rules.” Charles said that his off-field concerns are the first thing that teams which means they are a big deal because there are a lot of questions to ask about his on-field performance as well.
I have Charles as a top-70 player because he not only has starting potential but has high-caliber starting potential. I'm willing to gamble on that range of outcomes, but perhaps I'm only willing to gamble on it because of what I don't know about Charles' background. Meanwhile, players with higher ceilings but worse film (like Boise State's
Ezra Cleveland) and lower ceilings but more steady film (like Auburn’s
Jack Driscoll) are both ranked below Charles. However, you can't skew for what you don't know. With the limited range of information I have on Charles' projection, he's one of my favorite Round 3 targets.
His interviews at the Combine are going to be .massively important. If he's there at #89, we've got our LG for the next decade.