Do you believe that Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby ranks among the top five pass rushers in the league? CBS Sports recently disagreed with this assessment.
You can hear the collective groan already from Raider Nation. If there’s one thing that Raiders fans won’t abide by, it’s a slight to Crosby.
Since being drafted at the end of the previous decade, Crosby has become the face of the organization. At this point, a perennial Pro Bowler, Crosby, impacts the game for the Silver and Black unlike anything we’ve seen since Khalil Mack roamed the baseball diamond back at the Oakland Coliseum. You know the numbers by now—105 tackles for a loss, nine forced fumbles, and just shy of 60 career sacks (59.5).
Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby looking to bounce back in 2025…
However, 2024 was what we might refer to as a “down” year. Wear and tear finally caught up to the league’s ‘Iron Man,’ causing him to miss significant time (Crosby only played 12 games). Still, his impact is unquestionable as he seeks to rebound under new head coach Pete Carroll. Even so, Pete Brisco of CBS Sports ranked Crosby 28th overall in his recent “Top 100” players of the NFL. In terms of defensive players, Crosby fell short of the top five. Ahead of him are Trey Hendrickson (26), Aidan Hutchinson (15), T.J. Watt (11), Micah Parsons (10), and Myles Garrett (2).
“Crosby missed five games because of injury and had only 7.5 sacks last season after getting 14.5 the year before, but he remains a force on the edge when he’s on the field,” Brisco wrote. “A healthy Crosby is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate.”
It’s true, when Crosby is running on all cylinders, he’s vying for DPOY every season. He’s that good. With Carroll overseeing the defense and Patrick Graham staying put as defensive coordinator, Crosby could end up seeing a jump in productivity. Remember, it wasn’t that long ago that he was totaling double-digit sacks. With Carroll’s touch on an already impressive pass rusher, Crosby might climb those rankings as he rebounds from his injury.
*Top Photo: Benjamin Hegar/Las Vegas Review-Journal