30 Days of Colts' Fits: Nick Cross, Safety, Maryland

The 2022 NFL Draft is officially just a month away. In order to help you all along until draft day, I decided to start a daily prospect spotlight series to talk about some players that the Colts could target next month.

The players mentioned in this series will be players that I have either heard that the team is really high on, or are players that just make way too much sense for the team based on fit/past draft history.

Next up on the countdown to Draftmas is Maryland safety Nick Cross.

Background

Cross is a former four star recruit that chose to attend Maryland over Florida and Auburn. He was able to make an immediate impact with the Terrapins, starting in five of 12 games as a freshman back in 2019.

For his career, Cross went on to appear in 29 games over three seasons (making 22 starts). He finished with 134 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, five interceptions, 10 pass deflections, and three forced fumbles playing all across the defensive backfield.

Cross was a three-time All-Big Ten Honorable Mention for the Terrapins in his career.

How can you not want to draft @TerpsFootball S Nick Cross ( @Nick_Cross26 ) after hearing this.... pic.twitter.com/T2ACWDSeht
— Good Morning Football (@gmfb) March 9, 2022

Size/Testing Numbers

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 212 pounds

Arm Length: 31 1/2 inches

Testing Numbers: 40 Time: 4.34 seconds / Vertical Jump: 37 inches / Broad Jump: 130 inches

Former Maryland football safety Nick Cross ran an official 4.34 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

The time marks the fastest of a safety at this year's combine.pic.twitter.com/rtrERGlvJG
— Lauren Rosh (@lauren_rosh) March 7, 2022

Ability on Film

Cross is arguably the rangiest safety in this draft class on film. He is an explosive and dynamic athlete that covers a ton of ground in a hurry. It is rare to see a safety that can move sideline to sideline like he does, and players with this ability are highly sought after in the NFL.

This play is a good example of his ability. He has the benefit of the short-side of the field on this play, but it is still impressive nonetheless. He cuts off the deep corner route with ease and is able to step in front for the pass deflection.

Cross isn't your typical deep safety either. At 212 pounds, he is a willing and able tackler at all levels of the field. He isn't afraid to mix it up in the run game, and he runs the alley like the best in this class.

At Maryland, he was used all over the backend of the defense. Here, he is brought on a blitz from the strong-side of the offense. He is able to burst through the line and close ground on the quarterback in a hurry for the sack.

Fit with the Colts/Team Interest

Cross is the prototypical Gus Bradley deep safety. He is a special athlete that can play over the top with ease in cover three/man-match looks. He also has the versatility to rotate down in the box and play some snaps around the line of scrimmage.

If the Colts were to select Cross, it would free up Julian Blackmon and/or Khari Willis to play closer to the line of scrimmage at a higher rate. It would also give the Colts a talented trio of safeties that Bradley can mix and match in multiple ways to give opposing offenses fits.

In terms of interest, the Colts did send their Senior Player Personnel Scout Todd Vasvari to Maryland's Pro Day recently. That, combined with the fact that the Colts are sniffing around the safety market for more options back there, does lead me to believe that the team is interested in the talented young player.

Overall, Cross is an outstanding athlete with sky-high potential in the NFL. Don't be surprised if the Colts end up selecting this special player on day two of the draft later this month.

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