Commanders' Unique Usage of Safety Nick Cross Could Have Long-Term Implications

Nick Cross’ expanded slot role gives Washington more options and could influence Mike Sainristil’s playing time and how the secondary is built.

Washington Commanders safety Nick Cross has worked at safety, in the slot, and near the line of scrimmage in Daronte Jones’ defense. | Kourtney Carroll/Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders safety Nick Cross has greater alignment diversity than any NFL defender, according to SumerSports data through Week 8. The interesting part is that Cross’ position designation captures only part of what defensive coordinator Daronte Jones asks him to do. So, then the real question becomes: What does Washington gain by moving him around this much?

Cross gives Jones a 212-pound safety who can play closer to the run game and be used as a blitzer. He can also move back to a deeper alignment on the next snap. Washington doesn’t have to take him off the field to change his job.

There is no defender in the league who has more alignment diversity than Nick Cross. Daronte Jones has him lined up all over the formation for the Commanders (Data from @SumerSports) pic.twitter.com/JHgTvkubeU

— Tej Seth (@tejfbanalytics) November 4, 2026

How Washington Has Changed Nick Cross’ Role

Washington has more than doubled Cross’ slot-alignment rate from his final season with the Colts, according to Pro Football Focus. His work is now split almost evenly among free safety, the box, and the slot. Last season, nearly half of his snaps came in the box.

Alignment	2025 with Indianapolis	2026 with Washington
Slot	150 snaps — 13.5%	70 snaps — 30.0%
Box	551 snaps — 49.6%	73 snaps — 31.3%
Free Safety	279 snaps — 25.1%	77 snaps — 33.0%

Source: PFF. Percentages calculated from 1,111 defensive snaps in 2025 and 233 through Week 8 of 2026.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn discussed Cross’ role Monday after Washington’s 27-10 win over Philadelphia. “And then Nick in this game, I thought, did a really good job, especially when he was playing at Nickel, and he was down by the line of scrimmage. We blitzed him some, John; I thought he had a really good third-down run stop,” Quinn said.

Cross earned his two highest overall PFF grades of the season against San Francisco and Philadelphia. The Eagles game was also his strongest in run defense and tackling, backing up what Quinn saw near the line.

Good third-down pressure to get Washington's defense off the field. 7-man pressure front vs. 6 blockers. Philly adjusts for the DBL-A mug and Sonny Styles, while Washington bluffs Sonny and drops Dorance Armstrong. Nice fire zone, creating a free rush for Nick Cross. pic.twitter.com/HlvLQrvai3

— Jamual (@LetMualTellit) November 4, 2026

Washington showed seven possible rushers against six blockers, but Jones didn’t have to send all seven. Sonny Styles bluffed his rush, Dorance Armstrong dropped into coverage, and Cross came free. As the film above shows, the protection accounted for defenders who weren’t coming, giving Cross a path into the backfield without having to beat a blocker.

PFF Category	Against Philadelphia
Overall defensive grade	68.9
Run-defense grade	84.9
Tackling grade	85.0
Defensive stops	4
Missed tackles	0
Slot alignments	25 of 69 defensive snaps

Source: PFF. Grades and defensive stops cover all of Cross’ alignments.

Quinn emphasized Cross’ communication against Philadelphia. “But most importantly, I really felt his communication in this game, the urgency of what we're looking for from that," Quinn said. "So I thought that was a good step forward as well.”

Moving Cross around only helps if the other ten defenders are on the same page. Cross’ work at nickel also gives Jones an alternative to Mike Sainristil, who didn’t play a defensive snap against Philadelphia.

Cross still has something to prove in coverage. PFF has charged him with 10 receptions on 11 targets for 69 yards and one touchdown across four appearances, with a 56.2 coverage grade. Those catches averaged 6.9 yards, so opponents haven’t piled up yardage in that sample. The figures include all his coverage work, not just his plays from the slot.

If Cross proves he can cover consistently from the slot, Washington could have less need for a dedicated nickel corner. That would give general manager Adam Peters more flexibility to prioritize outside corners or depth elsewhere in the secondary.

The Rams game is the next test. Cross’ work over the rest of the season could help determine whether Sainristil has a regular role on defense and which positions Washington needs to address in the offseason.

READ MORE: 3 Players the Commanders Could Trade to Fill Bigger Roster Holes


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