The Cincinnati Bengals announced their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, and one of the relative surprises was the inclusion of rookie UDFA defensive tackle Howard Cross III.
Cross received an invitation to Bengals training camp thanks in large part to his ties to new Cincinnati defensive coordinator Al Golden, who just served in the same role for Notre Dame the prior three seasons. In Golden's system, Cross exploded as a stud pass-rusher during that span, logging 10 sacks and 61 quarterback pressures, per PFF.
Since he landed in Cincinnati, all Cross has done is inch his way up the depth chart, showing off the grit that it takes to be an undersized-yet-productive interior pass-rusher.