2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: SAF Nick Cross, Maryland

Strong safety play is likely to be a staple of Don Martindale's defense. Might Maryland's Nick Cross be a fit, then?

Author:
Nick Falato
Publish date:
Feb 16, 2022 6:41 PM EST

In this story:

Nick Cross, SAF

Height: 6'1″
Weight: 215
Class: Junior
School: Maryland

A former four-star recruit out of Hyattsville, Maryland, where he attended DeMatha Catholic High School, Cross was the number one recruit in Maryland during the 2019 cycle.

Cross was a track & field star in high school and was a part of the Maryland track team during his freshman year. He reportedly ran the 200-meter-dash in 22.27 seconds and a 60-meter-dash in 6.97 seconds. Cross was a three-time All-Big 10 honorable mention.

Notables

Cross had three productive seasons with Maryland before forgoing his senior season to enter the NFL draft. In 2021, he recorded 66 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, three sacks, three interceptions, two passes defended, two forced fumbles, and six total pressures. He finished his collegiate career with 134 tackles, 5.5 for a loss, four sacks, five interceptions, and ten passes defended.

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Gallery

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Strengths

Good size (listed at 6’1, may be closer to 6’0)
Seems to have long arms, does possess an excellent physique
Excellent blend of size, speed, and physicality
Solid movement skills in space, fluid lower half to accentuate transitions
Has solid overall range
Incredible downhill hustle

A locomotive with a full-head of steam going forward

Very physical when coming downhill
Big pop to his hits
Has highlight reel hits from all different angles (moving downhill, coming laterally, in pursuit)
Will go to strip the football
Does good job filling downhill
Solid man covering ability
Can jam at LOS when in press, does well to ride the hip and stay in phase
Did a good job getting his hands into the catch point and disrupting receivers
Showed good recovery speed when beat
Zone awareness is solid
Click & closes downhill well on routes underneath, which can set up a disruptive hit
Was versatile at Maryland, can handle the modern NFL safety role
Will be an asset on special teams

Can Improve

Attempted too man arm tackles
Tackling mechanics aren’t consistent - tries to go for big hit too often
Takes hitch or extra steps when reading plays from off coverage, almost a slight hesitation (not all the time, however)
Thought he could clean up his eye discipline and instinct when reading run or pass
Was benched in the 2020 season for “playing slow,” referencing a lack of competitive fire; albeit I didn’t see this as a problem with this in his 2021 film

Summary

Overall, Nick Cross is an interesting blend of size, speed, and hitting power - he’s an absolute heat-seeking missile when he reads everything well from pre to post-snap.

There’s some growth potential with him trusting what he sees, and he can be a more efficient tackler (double-digit missed tackle rates in all three seasons). Still, his versatile nature, ability to fill with intimidation in run support, and his excellent athletic ability make him a high upside player who, at worst, can be a core special teams player for an NFL team.

GRADE: 6.1