Cincinnati brought in a player with strong coaching connections.
Feb 26, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame defensive lineman Howard Cross (DL09) during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
CINCINNATI — Pro Football Focus writer Ben Cooper thinks a Bengals undrafted free agent could make the roster along the interior defensive front.
Notre Dame’s Howard Cross III was his pick for a UDFA to watch on the Bengals.
“Cross is a perfect fit to make the Bengals’ 53-man roster,” Cooper noted. “New defensive coordinator Al Golden is well accustomed to Cross, having coached him at Notre Dame over the past three years, and the Bengals have a dire need for interior defensive linemen.
“While Cincinnati signed T.J. Slaton in free agency, his 43.0 PFF overall grade and 13.5% missed tackle rate this past season won’t cut it. Cross, meanwhile, missed just one tackle in 2024. His 29 run stops over the past two seasons tied for the second most among Power Five interior defenders.”
The connection to Golden could be Cross’s ace in the hole if he can pair that with some eye-popping moments over the next few months.
He certainly has a path to making an impact at a position with just four entrenched players as of this writing: B.J. Hill, Slaton, McKinnley Jackson, and Kris Jenkins.
