The Cincinnati Bengals needed some grit and physicality on defense.
That’s why defensive coordinator Al Golden turned to a familiar face.
The former Notre Dame assistant went after defensive tackle Howard Cross III.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor has also been quite impressed with the undrafted rookie.
“He does it how you want him to do it,” Taylor said, via Mike Petraglia. “Life of a defensive tackle is not always a sexy life.”
"He does it how you want him to do it." Zac Taylor on Howard Cross III "Life of a defensive tackle is not always a sexy life."
— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) August 12, 2025
It was somewhat surprising to see Cross slide out of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Of course, he’s not a lock to make the roster, but he has turned some heads in training camp, and judging by what Taylor said, it seems like he’s making a strong case to stick around.
Cross is the type of team-first player who won’t hesitate to do the dirty work that doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet.
The Bengals had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season.
They gave up multiple explosive plays, and missed tackles and an apparent lack of effort were recurring issues.
They have arguably the best quarterback in football in Joe Burrow, not to mention a myriad of offensive weapons, headlined by wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
But if they can’t get stops again this season, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see the team look for answers somewhere else and move on from Taylor.
NEXT: Dan Orlovsky Makes Bold Statement About Joe Burrow