UGA’s Charles More Than a Catch

By BJ Bennett
SouthernPigskin.com

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As April's NFL Draft approaches, athletically-gifted talents like Charles will continue to draw the attention of professional scouts.

Scouts know Georgia tight end Orson Charles can get open. They know he can catch the football. They know he can make plays with the ball in his hands. Some, in fact, have compared him to versatile New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez. At roughly 6'3'', 240 pounds, however, some wonder if can be a complete tight end -- not just a downfield pass-catching option. There are questions as to his ability to hold up in the trenches as a blocker at the next level.

Charles is eager to prove his doubters wrong.

"I definitely take a lot of pride," Charles said of his blocking ability. "One of the first things Coach Bobo and Coach Lilly told me my freshman year was that if you want to play for Georgia, if you want to start, you have to block. From then on I made it my first priority to block and I definitely don't want to be labled as a guy who catches the ball like a slot receiver."

In three years in Athens, Charles caught 94 passes including ten touchdowns. His freshman and sophomore seasons, Charles averaged over 16 yards per reception. For point of reference, Clemson's Sammy Watkins averaged 14.7 yards per catch a year ago. Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon averaged 12.6. His athleticism is a big reason why some are comparing him to the former Florida Gator Hernandez.

"That's an honor to be called similar to Aaron because Aaron does a great job with the Patriots as far as making a lot of plays. Even the Super Bowl, just him scoring and doing crazy stuff...that's definitely an honor to be named as similar to him," Charles explained.

Most mock drafts have the Georgia junior going anywhere from potentially as high as the late first to the late second round. His NFL Combine performances will be watched especially close; Charles is expected to excel, who will likely boost his stock. As he prepares to transition to the next level, the Tampa-native expects the tempo of the game to increase. As he will show evaluators in Indianapolis, Charles without question has the measurables needed to handle a more hurried pace.

"Going from high school to college the speed of the game is definitely different. Going from college to the NFL, definitely the speed of the game," he said in reference to how he anticipates the game changing. "I feel like Georgia definitely prepared me as a person and a player to get me ready for this next chapter in my life. I think just the speed of the game is something I will have to get used to."

As April's NFL Draft approaches, athletically-gifted talents like Charles will continue to draw the attention of professional scouts. Charles hopes to highlight his remarkable ability to break free from single coverage and adjust in stride to make acrobatic catches. He also hopes to a exude a certain toughness and grit, his desire to impact the game at the line of scrimmage.

"I want to be a complete tight end. If I want to be a complete tight end I have to do everything, stretch the field and block in between the lines," Charles added.

Charles will spend the next few weeks showing off just how well he does the things most know he can do. More importantly, in some respects, he wants to prove just how well he can do the things some think he can't.