The Silent Dominance of Maxx Crosby
A plethora of NFL teams have star defensive linemen. There is also a long list of teams with incredible secondaries. Something that is not common, however, is having a player on the defensive side of the ball who can wreck a game, turn it upside down, or create big plays on what seems like every down. Names like Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt come up often due to their persistence and determination to get to the quarterback. Patrick Surtain II, the NFL’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, makes game-saving interceptions, and it is shown everywhere. Whether it's in the news or on television, these players are always being talked about, but there is one name that never garners as much attention as it deserves. Maxx Crosby has been silently dominating offensive tackles, blowing up plays in the backfield, and forcing turnovers in nearly every game he has played in a Raiders uniform, and it’s apparent that he is still not being discussed enough.
Crosby was thrown into a starting role right away, even though he was a day-three pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Not only was he thrown into the deep end after just one offseason, but he had extremely big shoes to fill. The Raiders had just dealt All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack to Chicago, ultimately leaving them with an inexperienced, young defense. It was not all pretty for Crosby during his first year in the league, but there was something about Crosby that the Raiders fell in love with. He has a true passion for the game and determination to be the best pass-rusher in all of football.
The former Eastern Michigan Eagle took a couple of years to develop, but as soon as he stepped onto the field in 2021, his third season in the league, it was obvious that the Raiders had found a diamond in the rough. He earned a 91.4 PFF grade, the second-highest graded edge rusher in the league that year, and it was well-deserved. He had 10 sacks, which is very impressive, but the stat that had people mesmerized was his 101 QB pressures. His ability to make a quarterback uncomfortable is just not seen often.
In 2022, Crosby proved that the season before was not a fluke. He notched 15 sacks and 22 tackles-for-loss. His 22 TFLs rank in the top 20 all-time for an edge rusher, and he put his name higher up in the record books the next year. In 2023, Crosby had his best year, where he tallied 23 TFLs, good for 11th all-time. These numbers speak to not only how good he is at rushing the QB, but also how dominant he is in the run game, as well as his ability to read plays.
Crosby is arguably the smartest player in the NFL. He thinks on the fly, and seemingly lets things happen because he knows he is going to make the play. His patience and acceleration are on another level compared to his competition. He passes the eye test with flying colors. When the Raiders are on, he is going to stand out.
It would seem obvious from looking at Crosby’s stats that he is a top defender in the league, but he is still not regarded as such. This year, Las Vegas went all in. They traded for Geno Smith, drafted Ashton Jeanty, and re-signed Malcolm Koonce. They have the names, the coaching, and the city of Las Vegas behind them; what they do with that will be determined in September. Watch out for them this year, as they could very well be a sneaky wildcard team, and it all starts with Mad-Maxx.
