The Washington Commanders did everything in their power to improve their defense this offseason, including signing a gaggle of free agents and using the No. 7 overall pick on a plug-and-play middle linebacker with Ohio State’s Sonny Styles.
One position they tried to improve and may have failed at is safety, where Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton thinks free-agent signee Nick Cross could end up being 1 of the NFL’s biggest busts in 2026.
“Nick Cross is a proven starter who’s versatile but has glaring limitations,” Moton wrote on July 10. “In four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, he lined up in both safety spots and in the slot. The 2022 third-rounder started in every game over the last two campaigns. With more playing time, Cross’ lapses in coverage became apparent. Since 2024, he’s given up nine touchdowns while allowing passer ratings above 99 in back-to-back terms. The Washington Commanders needed a reliable coverage defender at safety in center field alongside Will Harris, who’s allowed passer ratings above 105 in five out of seven seasons. On a new two-year, $13 million deal, Cross won’t fill that role adequately.”
Not Everyone Down on Free-Agent Safety Nick Cross
On the other end of the spectrum, ESPN’s Seth Walder singled out the signing of Cross as the offseason move he liked the most.
The Commanders stole Cross away from the Indianapolis Colts on a 2-year, $13 million contract after he started all 17 games each of the last 2 seasons.
“Washington opened its offseason by firing both offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.” Walder wrote on June 30. ” … although the Commanders massively disappointed by going 5-12 in 2025, the defense was the biggest culprit, ranking 30th in EPA per play. As far as personnel, the Commanders made moves to address their older, underperforming defense. They brought in other middle-class, free agent defenders in Cross, CB Amik Robertson and LB Leo Chenal. They also selected linebacker Sonny Styles with the No. 7 pick in the draft.”
Nick Cross Used Elite Speed to Lift Draft Stock
Cross was a standout safety on some pretty average teams at Maryland, but propelled himself into a 3rd-round pick (No. 96 overall) by the Colts in the 2022 NFL draft by running the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.34 seconds at the NFL scouting combine.
“Cross operated as the bouncer of the Maryland defense, playing with the aggression and explosiveness to throw opponents out of the club,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation in 2022. “He is a chase player who seeks to make a statement upon impact and has impressive stopping power near the line or as an open-field tackler. He’s a tight-hipped, linear mover, so flipping and flying are not his strong suit. He’s capable of matching with most flavors of tight end and will be most comfortable in coverages that allow him to play with a downhill trigger. He has the temperament, size and toughness to become an eventual starter in the league.”
In his 1st 4 seasons, Cross has been incredibly durable as well — he’s played in 67 out of 68 regular-season games despite making just 4 starts over his 1st 2 seasons.
Since becoming a full-time starter for the Colts, Cross has been a stats-producing machine. Over the last 2 seasons, he’s had over 130 tackles each year, including 4 interceptions, 10 pass deflections, 11 TFL, and 2 forced fumbles.
Commanders’ $13 Million Free Agent Predicted as NFL’s ‘Biggest Bust’