What Colts safety Nick Cross has to do to realize his vast potential

[JAFF]

https://www.indystar.com/story/sport...l/70135919007/

INDIANAPOLIS — A rookie safety ended up making a considerable impact for the Colts defense last season.

It just wasn’t the safety everybody expected.

While seventh-round pick Rodney Thomas II stepped into the Indianapolis lineup and ran with the opportunity by making a team-high four interceptions, third-round pick Nick Cross lost his spot in the starting lineup early and never got it back.

But the Colts have not given up on the potential that convinced general manager Chris Ballard to trade away a future third-round pick in order to get Cross last April.

“That second year, that jump that he can make here, he is extremely talented, he is fast, he’s got the ability,” Indianapolis defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. “Now, it’s just playing fast on the field. That part we didn’t see in the beginning of the year.”


Cross opened the 2022 season as the team’s starter at strong safety, a position that defensive backs coach Ron Milus has pointed out is the most complex spot in the secondary. In Bradley’s defense, the strong safety has a lot on his plate — making the right fits in the run game, dropping into coverage, making the calls and adjustments at the line of the scrimmage.

The former Maryland safety gave Indianapolis hope he’d be able to handle the heavy workload during training camp.


Once the regular season began, it became clear quickly that Cross still had a ways to go. Cross played 70 snaps on defense in the opener, 46 in the second game and then played just six snaps on defense the rest of the season.

“We felt like he was thinking a lot,” Bradley said. “The conversation was more about doing things right, rather than just reacting, and it slowed him down some.”

Both before and after the snap.

When the Colts put Rodney McLeod into the lineup in Cross’ place last season, it quickly became apparent that the secondary ran much more smoothly with the veteran secondary handling the calls.


“Rodney (McLeod) was a great communicator, and I think it just brought a sense of calm to the guys back there, because of that communication,” Bradley said. “That’s the part that held Nick back.”


Opportunity is again available for Cross.

McLeod hasn’t been re-signed, leaving an opening at the strong safety position.

But it’s also not necessarily Cross’ job to lose. The Colts have two starting-caliber free safeties in Thomas II and Julian Blackmon, and Blackmon proved last season that he can handle a role closer to the line of scrimmage by taking over at the nickel in place of an injured Kenny Moore II late in the season.

Physically, though, Cross is the best fit for that position.

Indianapolis needs the young safety to realize all of that potential. When Bradley talked with Cross this offseason, the message he gave the young safety was simple.

All of the ability is there. If Cross can start playing fast, playing the way he can run, the Colts could have a versatile playmaker in the secondary.


“If he can recognize that, own that and say now, in the next year, let’s get back to playing fast,” Bradley said. “It would be great for him to take the next step for us.”

The kind of step he wasn’t able to take as a rookie.