Just when it looked like the night was coming to an end for the Indianapolis Colts, general manager Chris Ballard traded back into the third round to select his first defensive player of the 2022 NFL draft.
Safety Nick Cross will be joining the secondary as the front office looks to shore up the backend of the defense. Just like the first three picks of Day 2 for Indy, Cross has the athletic traits to bet on for his position and has the talent to develop into a starter.
Here is a look at his relative athletic score (RAS):
(Courtesy of Kent Lee Platte)
Cross will enter a situation where he will start at the bottom of the depth chart in the safety room. He has an opportunity to earn a role on special teams while he develops behind the scenes.
This selection does help with depth concerns because entrenched starters Julian Blackmon and Khari Willis have missed time due to injuries. Plus, Rodney McLeod missed seven games over the past two seasons.
Cross does bring starting experience with him from his three seasons at Maryland. He’s a physical safety that fits the Colts’ aggressiveness on defense. He will come up quickly to make a tackle and has good tracking ability when in coverage. The one thing that this move also addresses is the future of the safety position.
Khari Willis is entering the final year of his rookie contract and Rodney McLeod was brought in on a one-year deal. Cross isn’t expected to come in to make an impact this season but he will have an opportunity to soak in as much as he can from the veterans he can.
Expect him to hear his name mainly on special teams in year one but he could earn an opportunity to be a starter by his second season in the NFL.