When Nick Cross was evaluated as prospect for the 2022 NFL Draft, the safety was described as a "bouncer."
No, not because of his jumping abilities – although he did record a 37-inch vertical jump at the 2022 NFL Combine – but because of his aggressiveness and toughness. Cross was praised for his stopping power and explosiveness, a quick and determined "enforcer" in the middle of the field; NFL analyst Lance Zierlein said Cross played with the kind of skillset "to throw opponents out of the club."
The thing about bouncers is they often go without recognition for their hard work. Many of their responsibilities are behind the scenes, or at least not as show-stopping as whatever performer or DJ they're typically guarding the door for.
Cross' NFL career has been, to this point, much the same.
Over the course of his four-year career, Cross has worked his way back from being benched two games into his rookie season to being solely a special teams player, then switching from strong safety to free safety and playing as a backup to, now, being an established member of an impressive secondary in his second year as a starter with the Colts. In 2024, his first season as a full-time starter, Cross made the most of his opportunities as he totaled 145 tackles (second among all NFL safeties and eighth overall in the league) and three interceptions.
Cross also set a record for most tackles by a safety in the first four games of an NFL season with 47, earning the respect and trust of his teammates and coaches. But at the conclusion of the 2024 season, Cross knew there was still plenty of room for him to grow and improve.
One of the themes of Cross' NFL career has been patience. Drafted at just 20 years old, Cross went through his ups and downs as he worked to prove himself. But he never wavered in his belief that he belonged – he just needed the right opportunity at the right time. 2024 was Cross' breakout season, but with a breakout season always comes the question, can he do it again?
Not only is Cross doing it again, he's arguably doing it even better – and in an entirely different way.
It started in the offseason, when the Colts hired Lou Anarumo as their new defensive coordinator and signed safety Cam Bynum, opening a new world of possibilities for the Colts defense as a whole in terms of coverages, blitzing and overall playmaking.
Anarumo's versatility and complexity in his play calling requires ultimate buy in and understanding, and it's no secret that he has high expectations for his guys.
Through the first four games of the 2025 season, Cross has largely met those expectations. The safety is leading the Colts with 34 combined tackles (20 solo) and is tied for first among all NFL safeties with two sacks, which are the first two sacks of his career. He's played 238 out of 251 total defensive snaps, second only to linebacker Zaire Franklin, and played all 75 snaps against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 4 and all 59 snaps against the Denver Broncos in Week 2.
"He's been a force," Anarumo said Tuesday, after Cross had 14 tackles and a sack against the Rams. "We're counting on him to be that way and can continue to be disruptive when we blitz him...So, we like what he's about, we like where he's heading and we're going to continue to use him in that manner."
"Nick is a Sunday player in this league," Franklin, who has known Cross since he entered the league, said. "I think last year he put his stamp on that position. And just about who he can be, (he's a) physical player, can take the ball away, make plays in the passing game, make plays in the run game. And I think now, in this new scheme, he's been able to take advantage of his opportunities, get after the quarterback, which is cool to see. He's obviously a talented player and he just continues to get better."
Per Pro Football Focus, Cross played 19 total pass rushing snaps and generated two pressures across all 17 games in 2024. Through four games this season, Cross has already played 14 pass rushing snaps and has generated pressure four times (28.6 percent of his pass rush snaps).
"He's been great," head coach Shane Steichen said Wednesday. "I think you've seen strides from him each and every year, but his physicality, the way he's tackling, seeing the ball – he does a great job on the backend, especially in the box for us. Play at a high level, credit to him and his work ethic. He's always in here grinding."
Bynum, who has only known Cross for a matter of months, can recognize how much work Cross has put in to get where he is. He didn't know Cross was benched or went through the setbacks he did, and wouldn't have ever guessed it.
"Every day he goes out and plays hard, studies hard, knows a lot because he's called to play a lot of different positions," Bynum said. "He just takes everything that he does really serious. So I think it's cool to be able to play with a player like that, that's smart and also versatile."
Bynum said Cross' versatility and willingness to do the physical "dirty work" only adds to the potential of Anarumo's secondary. The two safeties have different styles of play, which allows them both to flourish in their own right – and in Cross' case, take advantage of his toughness and physicality all around the field.
"Every time coach draws up a blitz for him, he seems to get back there," Bynum said. "Even if it's not for a sack, it's for a pressure or just making the quarterback get the ball out even faster. So I think he's answered every call the coaches have called him to do, so it's been fun to play with him."
Cross is a man of few words, letting his play speak for itself. And by the way he plays, you can tell Cross has all the confidence in the world in his abilities – just like his coaches and teammates do. He's earned that.
"He's one of those young kids that was challenged a lot early in his career, based off of expectations of other people," Franklin said. "And just really just locked in and became the top player he was supposed to be."
