Cincy Jungle
After starring at Notre Dame, Howard Cross III now has an opportunity to prove that his size isn’t nearly as important as his relentless motor.
Cross is signed to a 1-year, $1,005,000 contract with the Bengals, which carries a cap hit of $1,005,000 in 2026.
Howard Cross III should have heard his name called during the 2025 NFL Draft. Instead, the former Notre Dame standout watched all seven rounds come and go before signing with Cincinnati as an undrafted free agent.
Fortunately for the Bengals, draft position has never determined NFL success.
Cross arrives with one advantage that few rookies possess. He spent three seasons playing under current Bengals defensive coordinator Al Golden at Notre Dame, giving him a thorough understanding of Golden’s defensive concepts.
During six seasons with the Fighting Irish, Cross appeared in 65 games, recording 169 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks. He earned Second-Team All-American honors in both 2023 and 2024 while helping lead Notre Dame to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
His biggest obstacle has never been production. It has been perception.
At 6-foot-1 and 285 pounds, many NFL teams questioned whether he had the size to consistently hold up against professional interior offensive linemen. What they couldn’t question was his effort, leverage, hand usage, and football intelligence, traits that made him one of college football’s most disruptive interior defenders.
Cross spent much of his rookie season on Cincinnati’s practice squad before appearing in four games, finishing with four tackles and recovering his first NFL fumble in the season finale against Cleveland.
The Bengals have spent this past offseason rebuilding the defensive line, but there is still room for another contributor to emerge. Cross has all the tools to become that player.
No one expects him to become an every-down starter overnight. But rotational defensive tackles who consistently create pressure and play with maximum effort are valuable pieces of any successful defense.
If Cross can continue developing his strength while maintaining the explosiveness that made him so successful at Notre Dame, the Bengals may have found another overlooked talent who outplays his draft status.
