Ourlads' Profile:
2025 Guide: What Ourlads’ NFL Scouting Services said about HOWARD CROSS III:
Notre Dame | Hometown: Paramus, NJ | HT: 6013 | WT: 283 | 40 time: N/A | Hand: 1012 | Arm: 3212 | Wing: 7812
Two year starter. Second team AP All-America in 2023. Father Howard Jr played tight end for 13 years in the NFL for the Giants. Undersized and lacks height, but has a plus wingspan. Extremely quick at the snap with a low pad level and quick hands attacking blocks. Plays with leverage allowing him to work off blocks to the ball. Athletic with agility in tight spaces to go with lateral speed to chase up and down the line and outside the box. Fluid hips changing direction can get him into gaps off blocks. Hand swipes, and a swim move often gets him free penetrating a gap. Has been used often to stunt with tackle picks, twists and end/tackle games creating chaos with blocking schemes. Quickness to the hole can be incredibly disruptive on running plays. Has enough speed to work the edge stunting outside. As a pass rusher, penetrating gaps on stunts often got him free. Shows a swim move off a stab along with a quick hand swipe. Flashes speed to power and can close coming from inside or outside. That said, he needs to win with quickness because a blocker getting in his frame can cover him up. He can get bounced out of a hole if a blocker can get flush on him. Lacks an anchor against double teams and powerful straight up blocks. Pass rush success comes mostly from gap charges and stunts as he lacks the power to push the pocket. He will need a scheme that prioritizes stunts and movement up front.
2024 Stats: 28 T, 5.5 TFL, 4 sacks, 1 PBU, 3 QBH. Draft projection: 6th-7th round