ESPN Says Colts’ Nick Cross ‘On the Hot Seat’

The Indianapolis Colts are putting their faith in the potential of third-year safety Nick Cross for the 2024 season.

Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross (20) reacts after making an interception Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Indianapolis Colts are taking their chances on former third-round safety Nick Cross to start as one of the safeties for the 2024 campaign. After giving capital to trade up and obtain Cross in the 2022 NFL Draft, things haven’t panned out for the 22-year-old. However, going into the 2024 season there may be hope that everything will start clicking for Cross while he plays opposite Julian Blackmon to make up Indy’s safety duo.

ESPN, however, believes that Cross is the player on the hot seat in a recent NFL power rankings breakdown. For Indianapolis, they sit at the 18th position as a team and Cross is arguably the biggest wild card going into the 2024 year. ESPN’s Stephen Holder had the details.

“The Colts traded up to select Cross in the third round of the 2022 draft, but it remains unclear whether he is a long-term solution in their defensive backfield. Cross has made four starts in two seasons and is still fighting to earn a spot in the starting lineup during this camp.”

- Stephen Holder | ESPN

What happens next for the Colts? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second and sign up for our free newsletter and get breaking Colts news delivered to your inbox daily!

As Holder points out, Cross isn’t the clear-cut option as a starting safety. Ronnie Harrison Jr. and Rodney Thomas II are competing with Cross for playing time and the position battle may be ongoing through the beginning of the regular season. Holder continues.

“He has played both strong and free safety, but coaches are still unsure what they will ultimately do with him. If he doesn't earn a starting role this season, his long-term future is cloudy, at best.”

- Stephen Holder | ESPN

Cross’ 2022 was a disaster, but last year was a vast improvement. While Cross was still on a short leash (292 per Pro Football Focus) he finished with 39 tackles and an interception. His PFF defensive grades were either good or acceptable, concluding with 71.8 overall, 81.2 run, and 63.2 coverage. While there were rocky moments for Cross when now Atlanta Falcons safety Justin Simmons was a free agent, the dust has settled, and Cross has had arguably the best preseason of anyone on the Colts roster.

With a lot of pressure to succeed mounting for Cross, the time to respond is now. Week one offers no chance for a soft introduction to the 2024 NFL season for Indianapolis, as they host the 2023 AFC South champion Houston Texans, led by quarterback C.J. Stroud and multiple new weapons. Indianapolis will need all the help it can get in the defensive secondary; we’ll see if Cross is ready to answer the call in a couple of weeks.

---

Want more Colts content? Check out the latest episode of the Horseshoe Huddle Podcast!

Follow Horseshoe Huddle on Facebook and X; subscribe on YouTube for multiple Colts live-stream podcasts per week.