Howard Cross III

Career StatsD+

Year	Team	GP	Sacks	Tkl	TFL
Career		4	—	4	1
2025		4	0.0	4	1

Updated Jun 6, 2026

Current Contract

Contract Value Index (CVI)

Howard Cross III drew a C on the Contract Value Index — a calibrated read on Cincinnati's cap allocation at defensive tackle. At $1.005M annually on what amounts to a depth-chart reserve contract, the deal itself carries minimal financial risk; the real question is whether Cross justifies even modest roster space on a Bengals team sitting 6-11 and clearly in evaluation mode. His 2025 season production of 4 tackles across 4 games speaks to a player still searching for consistent impact, and the D+ performance grade reflects that marginal output — he's operating at the margins of NFL-ready, not creeping toward it. The mediaFraming aligns squarely with that assessment: Cross is a low-risk camp body whose fumbled interception has become the symbolic moment of his early career, a raw, unpolished prospect who earned his second look through effort rather than demonstrable talent. With the Bengals recently signing multiple depth pieces across the roster, including another defensive tackle, there's no indication Cincinnati is building around this contract or expecting Cross to be part of a competitive rotation — he's organizational filler, the kind of deal a front office makes to fill beds in camp while waiting to see if anyone emerges. The CVI grade of C reflects fair-market compensation for what he is: a replacement-level body on a prove-it opportunity, not an asset with upside or a bargain relative to his role.

Contracts in the Same Value Band

Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the C band — a quick read on where Howard's contract sits relative to comparable money.

Performance Analysis

Howard Cross III grades at a D+ based on just four games with the Bengals in 2025, making any definitive evaluation premature. His four tackles and a tackle for loss in that brief window show an interior defensive lineman who can contribute against the run when given snaps. Cincinnati brought him in to add depth to their defensive front, and the limited sample suggests a rotational player who has not yet earned a larger workload. The TFL demonstrates the quickness and penetration ability you want from a defensive tackle, even if the overall numbers are modest. Cross needs more opportunities to show whether he can be a reliable contributor or if he will remain a fringe roster player competing for a spot each training camp.

How Howard Compares at the Position

Howard Cross III ranks 157th of 216 graded defensive tackles by performance. That slots Howard between Shy Tuttle (D+) just ahead and Perrion Winfrey (D+) just behind.

Fan Sentiment

Howard Cross III's public perception sits at a steady C-, a grade that accurately captures the lukewarm-to-skeptical reception he's received from both media and fans heading into what amounts to a make-or-break camp. The dominant narrative frames him as a classic camp body — a low-risk roster filler who earned a second look through hustle rather than any standout talent, and his fumbled interception against the Colts has become the defining image of his early career, the kind of moment that follows a young player across social timelines and reinforces the "unpolished" label. That perception is hard to separate from his on-field production, which carries a D+ performance grade — in the 2025 season he logged just 4 tackles across 4 games, the kind of modest output that does nothing to silence the skeptics calling him organizational depth at best. The Bengals' decision to trade a first-round pick for Dexter Lawrence II is the single most damaging contextual development for Cross's standing, as that move signals a front office investing serious capital at the defensive tackle position, effectively shrinking whatever opportunity existed for a player already on the roster bubble. Re-signing Cross reads less as a vote of confidence and more as a depth-chart insurance move while the team waits to see what it has at the position, a framing that the media has largely run with. Until Cross produces something undeniable in training camp, the narrative stays stuck in place — a feel-good story that fans find entertaining but few believe will have a meaningful ending on an active roster.