The Las Vegas Raiders’ decision to select Eastern Michigan edge rusher Maxx Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft has become one of the biggest draft steals in recent history.
Crosby has been nothing short of unstoppable since entering the league, totaling three double-digit sack seasons, including a career-high 14.5 during the 2023 campaign. The 26-year-old is also one of the most durable players in the NFL, as he hasn’t missed a single game in his career yet.
After being ranked as the sixth-best edge rusher last year, Crosby officially cracked the top five in ESPN’s annual list of the top-10 edge rushers in the NFL based on the opinions of coaches, scouts and executives around the league.
Crosby came in at No.5 on the list, behind San Francisco 49ers’ Nick Bosa (No.4), Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons (No.3), Pittsburgh Steelers’ T.J. Watt (No.2), and Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett (No.1).
Those four being ahead of the Raiders superstar is understandable, but what isn’t is one voter ranking Crosby at No.7, and an unnamed NFL coordinator stated that the three-time Pro Bowler “doesn’t have the elite traits of some of the others but his traits are still high end.”
There is no logic in either of these stances, as Crosby has the sixth-most sacks in the NFL over the past two seasons, led the league in tackles for loss in 2022 and 2023, and has tallied the most pressures in the league with 276 since 2021. Also bear in mind, he hasn’t had a lot of help around him over his career, so offenses have been able to key in on him.
The former Eastern Michigan standout’s relentless motor and immense power are elite, making him a matchup nightmare every week.
Not only is Crosby one of the best defensive players in the NFL, but he is the face of the Raiders. The two-time second-team All-Pro selection signed a four-year, $ 95 million extension with Las Vegas in 2022 and was given a $ 6 million raise in May.
Crosby has become a fan-favorite in Raider Nation and has all the tools to become one of the greatest players in franchise history.
