The Cincinnati Bengals are on the board again, and this is another much-needed addition to the defensive line.
As soon as the NFL Draft ended, news broke that the Bengals had landed Notre Dame defensive tackle Howard Cross, reuniting him with former defensive coordinator Al Golden.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero broke the news first, and Notre Dame has since announced the move.
The 6-foot-1, 285-pound Cross was an All-American in the 2023 season after racking up 66 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, and two forced fumbles across 13 games.
This past season, Cross took a step back but still recorded 28 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks while missing three games due to an ankle sprain. He earned an elite 89.8 PFF grade in 2023 and a respectable 71.0 mark this past season. Had he gone pro following his 2023 season, Cross would have likely been drafted.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had Cross going undrafted but does see a potential contributor at the pro level.
Undersized even-front nose tackle whose 2023 tape is so disruptive that it could draw the focus for teams creating his projection. He’s small but plays with leverage and a twitchy discard when playing fast. He’s a nuisance when allowed to stunt or slant but gets rolled out of the gap by power if the opposition catches him flush. He’s a problem as a rusher with loose limbs and sudden feet to work both edges. He is talented in getting by blockers at the junction point and heating up the interior. Some of the production dropped in 2024, but he might be a fun sub-rush piece as a late or undrafted backup nose tackle in a one-gapping scheme.
Cross joins Arkansas defensive tackle Eric Gregory as the Bengals’ first two undrafted free agent additions, giving the Bengals some badly-needed depth at the position after not spending a draft pick there.