Evaluating the Redskins draft picks: Offensive tackle Saahdiq Charles

What Charles needs to improve

The biggest area for Charles to improve in is in relation to his weight and strength. At LSU, he had a playing weight of only 295 pounds. And at times, that caused some issues.

While Charles’ technique was good, he often struggled against the bigger, stronger edge rushers in the SEC. He could still stalemate them at times, but he was often moving backward toward Joe Burrow against those players. He pushed back enough to give Burrow time to throw but against players at the NFL level, it may be harder for Charles to find as much success if he doesn’t improve in that area.

Fortunately for the Redskins, Charles was able to pack on weight to his frame this offseason to bulk up from 295 to 321 at the 2020 NFL Combine. So, it’s clear that he can pack on the pounds needed to add strength to his frame. Now, it’s just a matter of solidifying that muscle and proving that he can find success at a larger size without losing his athleticism.

Washington Commanders

Elsewhere, the other concerns about Charles come off the field. Louis Riddick said on ESPN’s coverage of the draft that one scout had caused Charles “a follower and not a leader.” And in each of his seasons at LSU, Charles had some discipline issues including a six-game suspension during LSU’s undefeated 2019 season.

Those discipline issues will need to be cleaned up at the next level, especially given the lack of talent that the Redskins have at left tackle. That said, Ron Rivera seems to trust Charles and explained why he had faith in the LSU product, per NBC Sports Washington’s Peter Hailey.

"One thing that really caught my attention was he had made the statement that when you have something taken away from you, you want it back, you want to do it the right way,. “That really swayed me. I’m one of those that do believe you do give guys opportunities, especially if they show that they want it and this is a young man that wants it."

Rivera would also go on to explain that he was confident in the “structure” that the ‘Skins would provide Charles to help him stay clean off the field.

These two issues are surely noteworthy. But at the moment, it looks like Charles is on the path to fixing both of them. His on-field strength will be the big thing to watch once training camp and the preseason roll around, but for the time being, it seems like he’s on the right track to be a contributor.