SOUTH BEND —Former Notre Dame football defensive tackle Howard Cross III is officially an NFL rookie after signing with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 NFL Draft.
Here’s what Cross brings to the Bengals and his former defensive coordinator, Al Golden, largely based on their three-year association with the Irish:
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What Howard Cross III brings to the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent:
Son of former New York Giants tight end Howard Cross, the Paramus, N.J., product made 34 career starts while battling through high ankle sprains in two of his final three seasons. With 66 career game appearances, Cross ranks second in program history, trailing only teammate Jack Kiser with 70. Cross missed the final three games of the regular season in 2024, but his ankle healed sufficiently for him to gut out a four-game run through the College Football Playoff.
Howard Cross III’s highlights, strengths, weaknesses at Notre Dame
Though undersized at 6-foot-1 and 283 pounds, Cross earned the nickname “Fast Hands Howard” from former Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden for his suddenness at the snap. Cross posted a career-best four sacks in 2024, but his tackle total dipped to just 28 (5.5 for loss) as he drew frequent double teams. Cross did 24 repetitions on the 225-pound bench press, which would have tied him for seventh among the defensive tackles to test at the NFL Scouting Combine. Cross did not run the 40-yard dash in pre-draft testing.
Howard Cross III’s statistics at Notre Dame football
An epic 2023 season saw Cross finish with 66 tackles, fourth-most in FBS and first at the Power-5 level, as he earned second-team All-America honors. He played more than 2,200 career defensive snaps and posted a career missed tackle percentage of just 6.5%.
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Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Cincinnati Bengals sign free agent Howard Cross III after 2025 NFL Draft: Pros, cons of signing