STARKVILLE — Those inside the Palmeiro Center around 10 a.m. Tuesday were suddenly compelled to scuttle backward toward the building’s side wall.
Charles Cross was on the move.
The Mississippi State offensive lineman — all 310 pounds of him — moved his practice partner seemingly at will during a drill at Tuesday’s pro day, propelling an unfortunate soul protected by just a pad backward and to the left. Reporters, scouts and Bulldogs players quickly cleared out of the way.
It was Cross’ time to shine.
“Personally, I believe I’m the best offensive tackle in the draft,” the redshirt sophomore said. “… I feel like I’m the most athletic one.”
Cross did his best to prove it Tuesday, impressing scouts from across the NFL with his strength and agility for his size. He was one of five Mississippi State players to work out at the Bulldogs’ pro day, joined by cornerback Martin Emerson, wide receiver Makai Polk, kicker Brandon Ruiz and punter Tucker Day.
“I just felt great being here and putting on a show in front of my brothers,” Emerson said.
Plenty of Emerson’s former teammates were in attendance Tuesday, including quarterback Will Rogers, wide receivers Jaden Walley and Austin Williams, running back Dillon Johnson, defensive end Jordan Davis and safety Jalen Green.
The current crop of Bulldogs watched from the Palmeiro Center practice field as their former compatriots tried their best to bolster their professional stock barely more than a month before the NFL draft.
“I think it benefited me a lot just coming out and doing everything,” Emerson said. “I had good numbers, but I wanted to put up better numbers.”
Few statistics were released publicly Tuesday. Emerson’s broad jump — measured at 10 feet, 4 inches — was one of them; The Dispatch clocked his second 40-yard dash attempt at 4.51 seconds; Emerson ran a 4.53 at the NFL combine earlier this month.
Polk was the other Bulldog who ran the 40 on Tuesday, clocked by The Dispatch at 4.65 seconds in his second run. Scouts measured Polk’s runs at between 4.64 and 4.69 seconds; he ran an official 4.56 at the combine.
The Richmond, California, product said he hopes to get bigger, stronger and more explosive.
“I feel like I did pretty well,” Polk said of his overall performance at pro day. “I could have done better; there’s always room for improvement.”
Polk profiles as a late-round selection or an undrafted free agent, ranked as the No. 317 player in the draft class by NFL Draft Diamonds. But he said without his 2021 season, he wouldn’t even have gotten that far.
The Cal transfer caught 105 passes for 1,045 yards and nine touchdowns, putting himself on the radar. Polk said he went into college hoping to turn pro after the requisite three years, and his 2021 campaign gave him a chance.
“If I hadn’t had the season I had, I’d be back here training with the guys and pushing to have a season like I did this year,” Polk said.
Emerson also had a standout campaign in 2021, though teams rarely targeted the lockdown cornerback. The junior from Pensacola, Florida, said getting Southeastern Conference experience every week helped him prepare for the pros.
“The world knows it’s the best conference in America, so I feel like it helped me a lot,” Emerson said.
Emerson said he expected to be drafted within the top 50 picks, though that might be an uphill battle. Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports projected Emerson as the No. 81 overall player; most mock drafts have the Mississippi State corner coming off the board in the second or third round.
Emerson said he spoke with several former Bulldogs now in the NFL: Minnesota Vikings cornerback Cameron Dantzler, Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay Jr. and offensive lineman Darryl Williams and even — through Twitter — Philadelphia Eagles corner Darius Slay.
He said he feels prepared to follow in their footsteps.
“I’m ready,” Emerson said. “I was built for this moment.”
But no Bulldog is built quite like Cross, who seems literally built for any moment that doesn’t involve squeezing through a tight space. The former five-star lineman out of Laurel High School said he’s ready for an NFL career he’s long been waiting for.
“I’ve really been thinking about it since (I was) a little kid,” Cross said. “It was always a dream of mine. It’s a blessing that it’s coming to reality. I’m just excited for the opportunity.”
Cross is a consensus first-round pick, with most outlets projecting him to be drafted inside the top 10. The latest mock drafts from ESPN and CBS Sports on Tuesday both had Cross ninth to the Seattle Seahawks.
Cross said the New York Giants and New York Jets have shown the most interest in him, but he won’t be picky about his potential destination.
“I’d be very excited to play anywhere,” Cross said.
Cross said he has been training since December at the Final 5 OL Academy in Frisco, Texas, run by Duke Manyweather; Emerson was in Arizona and Polk in Santa Monica, California.
But each came back to Starkville on Tuesday for the first time since the end of the 2021 season.
“It was bittersweet,” Polk said. “I feel like when I got down here from LAX, I missed it a little bit when I got down here and missed my teammates.”
Cross said he smiled as he walked through the Bulldogs’ facilities one more time, thanking Mississippi State coaches and staff for their help improving his game.
“This is my school,” he said. “I love this place.”
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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