The Indianapolis Colts traded up and selected Maryland junior safety Nick Cross with the 96th overall pick in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft Friday night.
He is the first Terps player selected, making it five straight years a Maryland player has been drafted.
Cross joins the Colts after finishing second on the Terps in tackles (66), including 3 1/2 for loss, to go with three sacks, four pass breakups and three takeaways last season.
The Bowie native watched his stock rise during the draft process after running the 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds, the fastest among safeties at the NFL scouting combine in March.
Cross is the first Maryland safety to be drafted since Antoine Brooks, who was taken in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020. Brooks won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams this past season.
The 6-foot, 212-pound Cross, a three-time All-Big Ten honorable mention selection, didn’t start playing football until he arrived at DeMatha in Hyattsville. Once he stepped onto the field, he worked his way to become a four-star recruit and the fourth best safety from the 2019 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.
After he decommitted from Florida State, Cross came to Maryland, where he tallied totaling 134 tackles and five interceptions in three seasons.
Viewed as a potential starter in the NFL, Cross has a unique ability to play different parts of the football. According to Pro Football Focus, he played 281 snaps as a box safety, 420 at free safety, 53 as a slot corner and 24 out wide.
“The athleticism to be able to man cover is huge right now at that position,” NFL Network and draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “I think he is going to be a good player.”
The Colts already had Maryland ties, as coach Frank Reich played three seasons as quarterback for the Terps before getting drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 1985 NFL draft.
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Source: Berkshire mont