NFL Draft Profile: Nick Cross, Safety, Maryland Terrapins
#3
Pos: DS
Ht: 6001
Wt: 212
Hand: 900
Arm: 3148
Wing: NA
40: 4.34
Vertical: 37
Broad: 1010
3 Cone: NA
Bench: NA
Shuttle: NA
DOB: 9/10/2001
Hometown: Bowie, MD
High School: DeMatha Catholic
Nick Cross
Maryland Terrapins
One Liner:
Cross is a physical safety, who does his best work when free to roam and strike over the middle of the field.
Pros:
Cross is a rocked-up defensive back, who uses every pound to displace ball carriers. He arrives fast and with a menacing presence, up-ending running backs, and cutting off yards after the catch attempts. Cross played a variety of roles in terms of alignment at Maryland, logging snaps as a single high safety, nickel or slot corner, and dime linebacker. He is fast enough to time up blitzes from depth and carry the boundary or seam against tight ends. He shows an understanding of zone principles and will squeeze pass-catchers up the sideline or break on underneath routes as appropriate.
Cons:
Cross is occasionally too aggressive in his run pursuit, leading to bad angles and missed tackles. Like his tenacity to use his body but too often loose with fundamentals in regular tackling. He is Fast in a straight line but doesn't possess elite range which makes his overall coverage ability subpar. Cross Is not comfortable in man coverage where he often gets grabby. His eye discipline can lead him to hesitate, leaving valuable milliseconds for quarterbacks to process.
Summary:
Nick Cross is an impressive athlete who displays many of the desired traits including the speed, physicality, and tenacity wanted out of a strong safety. His lateral movement and overall tightness limits him in his coverage duties but with better eye discipline and further development of his agility, Cross figures to project as a valuable NFL defender.
Background:
Cross is a Maryland Native that earned a consensus four-star rating out of DeMatha Catholic high school where he accumulated multiple accolades including the top-ranked football player in the state of Maryland, a member of the Army All American game, and the Nike opening. At Maryland, he has gained honorable mention for the All-Big Ten team three times and is a business major looking to be a broadcaster or own his own financial firm after his playing career.
Grade:
Round 3-4
Quotes:
“At 6’1″, 215 pounds, Cross has decent size for the safety position at the next level. More importantly, the Maryland safety possesses excellent length for the position. He has long, muscular arms that will enable him to be a playmaker at the NFL level.” Oliver Hodgkinson, Pro Football Network
“With such a firm consensus about his draft ranking, there is a strong possibility that Cross would be one of the BPA if he's still on the board in the 3rd round.” SBNation
