Charles Cross, who gave Mississippi State a boost as a top 20 recruit in he class of 2019 who chose to stay home, is off the board at the NFL Draft.

Cross was drafted No. 9 overall by the Seattle Seahawks.

In a March mock draft, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. praised Cross.

“Cross allowed just one sack in 2021, leveling up for a pass-happy Mississippi State offense that shows no mercy for opposing linemen,” Kiper said. “He is a stellar pass-blocker as a left tackle.”

Cross, a native of Laurel, Mississippi, chose the Bulldogs over Southern Cal and Florida State, and as a redshirt freshman made 10 starts in 2020 and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Last season he was a first-team all-conference selection as he started 12 games.

Pro Football Focus also gave Cross a first-team All-SEC selection, and noted that he gave up just 2 sacks in 919 snaps with an 86.7 percent blocking grade.

Cross coming out of high school was a 5-star offensive tackle recruit and was listed as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Mississippi.

Even 3 years ago, Cross’ position coach Marcus Johnson had high expectations.

“That kid there is phenomenal. He is going to be a superstar one day,” Johnson said. “Sharp kid from a football IQ standpoint, very coachable. You tell him something one time he can apply it from the classroom to the football field. As humble as they come, he can hold his own against the starters that he faces.”