Some takeaways on Charles from this article on The Athletic
What the Redskins are getting in LSU left tackle Saahdiq Charles
- The immediate standout trait for Charles is his athleticism. He’s listed at 6-foot-4, 321 pounds, but is very light on his feet. He doesn’t quite have Williams’ elite athleticism, but he’s more than capable of eating up ground, working out in space, and reaching landmarks other tackles can’t.
- In the run game, this athletic ability translates directly to zone blocking schemes. Charles is a capable zone blocker with the ability to climb up to the second level comfortably to reach linebackers or use his athleticism to run defenders out of the play.
- As a pass protector, Charles’ athleticism is advantageous, as he has great foot quickness. That allows him to match speed rushers off the edge and cut them off, but also allows him to change direction quickly.
- Having quick and natural feet is a huge plus for a left tackle and something that can’t really be taught. However, Charles isn’t a flawless prospect. He needs work on his technique, particularly with his hands. In general, his hands are often too high and wide when pass protecting.
- Outside of hand placement, Charles’ main flaw is his playing strength. He’s very athletic and light on his feet, which is beneficial in plenty of aspects, but it means he doesn’t exactly pack a punch when it comes to impact blocks.
- Overall, Charles is a promising talent with the ability to develop into a solid starter with some work on a few correctable flaws. He has some nice tools that can’t be taught, like his natural athletic ability and very good feet that allow him to cut off speed rushers and mirror other rushers as they work through multiple moves. The ability to get out on screens and block in space shouldn’t be underestimated either, with the likes of Terry McLaurin, Steven Sims and third-round pick Antonio Gibson all significant threats in the screen game. However, he does need some technical work and fine-tuning before he’s ready to start. His hand placement, particularly his outside hand, needs to be better, and he would benefit from adding more strength from a professional strength and conditioning program that he’ll receive in the NFL.