Throughout the 2024 offseason, much has been made about the Indianapolis Colts' secondary.
They lost 2023 starting cornerback Darrell Baker to their AFC South rival Tennessee Titans during roster cuts, and the Colts' only addition was former San Fransisco 49ers cornerback Samuel Womack III.
Indianapolis finished with the 28th-ranked defense in the NFL at the end of last season, allowing the 17th-most passing yards along the way.
Although this Colts' 2022 third-round pick has earned some consistent playing time as a rotational piece to their defense, he looks poised to make his largest jump yet heading into his third year in the NFL.
Former Maryland safety Nick Cross is replacing 2023 starter Rodney Thomas II as the Colts' primary free safety. In the process, 46-game starter Julian Blackmon shifts over to strong safety.
Indianapolis must feel confident in Cross' ability to help bolster the Colts' uncertain secondary, and Bleacher Report's Matt Holder does too. Just after Cross was officially named Indianapolis' starting free safety, Holder listed him as one of six NFL names poised to break out in 2024.
In Cross' three preseason games, he earned an 83.1 (out of 100) grade from Pro Football Focus. In PFF's own terms, a grade in the 80s describes a "great" player.
On average, Cross was given a 76.8 grade in run coverage and 75.3 in pass coverage. This may help Cross shed the reputation of being a slight coverage liability coming out of Maryland, as was evident by his 2022 scouting report.
Indianapolis needs Cross to emerge as a reliable member of its secondary if they want to have any chance of improving its defense and earn a shot at the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
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