Nick Cross

Former defensive back at Maryland. 2021: 3 interceptions, 5 pass breakups, 66 tackles.

DB · Maryland · So. · #3

6′1″ · 210 lb · Bowie, MD

CFB Index 89 · #10 of 509 safetiesLow confidenceIndianapolis — drafted 2022, Rd 3, Pick 32, #96 overall

Recruiting

4★

S recruit

No. 55 nationally · Signed with Maryland

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former defensive back at Maryland. 2021: 3 interceptions, 5 pass breakups, 66 tackles.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to Maryland in 2019.
Drafted round 3 by the Indianapolis in 2022.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at Maryland, 134 tackles — drafted at #96 overall by Indianapolis.

His career

He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

201911 games

Signed with Maryland4-star out of DeMatha Catholic

2022

Drafted by Indianapolisround 3, pick 96

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#55 national

CFB

College

Maryland

2019–2021

NFL

NFL Draft

R3 · #96

Indianapolis · 2022

Coaching lineage · 2019–2021

1 coach

2019–2021

Mike Locksley

Maryland

Played his entire career under Mike Locksley.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

IndianapolisEntering 5th NFL season

#96Rd 3 · Pick 32

IndianapolisEntering 5th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2021 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

3 seasons under Mike Locksley — 12-18 over that span.

2019Maryland3-9HC: Mike Locksley · Run-leaning

2020Maryland2-3HC: Mike Locksley · Balanced, slow tempo

2021Maryland7-6HC: Mike Locksley · Balanced, fast tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

89All-Conference level #10 of 509?

Medium confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (93rd percentile). Strength: passes defended (91st percentile). Concern: qb hurries (24th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Solo tackles#194 / 2743 · 93rd pct

Passes defended#207 / 2743 · 91st pct

Interceptions#36 / 824 · 90th pct

Tackles#318 / 2743 · 88th pct

Sacks#346 / 2743 · 86th pct

3.0

Tackles for loss#914 / 2743 · 64th pct

3.5

QB hurries#1413 / 2743 · 24th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2021 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	4.7	0.3	0.3	0.2
Road5g	7.0	0.1	0.0	0.8

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	5.6	0.0	0.0	1.0
Weeks 8+6g	5.8	0.4	0.3	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Mike Locksley

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2021

Starter

Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

89 · #10 of 509 safeties

Former four-star. Now #10 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2021	Maryland	66	44	3.5	3.0	5	3	--
2020	Maryland	23	14	1.0	1.0	3	--	--
2019	Maryland	45	30	1.0	0.0	5	2	--
Career		134	88	5.5	4.0	13	5	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2021

W 20–17

at Illinois

3 PD · 4 SOLO · 7 TOT

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 on the road.

With T. Tagovailoa — 350 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 84.6 · 25 rush yds (6 car) · A. Pecorella — 49 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 56 LONG

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2021 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 30-24vs West Virginia	6	6	0.0	0.0	1	1
Wk 3	W 20-17@ Illinois	7	4	0.0	0.0	1	3
Wk 4	W 37-16vs Kent State	5	4	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	L 14-51vs Iowa	4	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	L 17-66@ Ohio State	6	5	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 8	L 16-34@ Minnesota	13	8	0.0	0.0	—	0	Season-high 13 tackles
Wk 9	W 38-35vs Indiana	5	4	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 10	L 14-31vs Penn State	5	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 11	L 21-40@ Michigan State	5	2	0.5	0.0	1	0
Wk 12	L 18-59vs Michigan	3	3	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 40-16@ Rutgers	4	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Total		63	41	2.5	2.0	3	5

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology