While the season has been a cruel one for Raider Nation, that doesn’t mean they can’t send their favorite Las Vegas Raiders players to the Pro Bowl.
Say what you will about the Raiders as a team, but 2025 didn’t go as expected. The season, their first since Antonio Pierce was jettisoned, was obviously a wash, and one could argue that the team regressed from the squad we saw last year. Yes, it’s gone that bad.
Still, there’s a silver lining: the team has some top players at their perspective positions. That has to account for something. In fact, Raider Nation’s making sure the rest of the NFL still has to acknowledge that.
At least the Raiders still have talent at key positions…
The two top fan vote leaders are tight end Brock Bowers and pass rusher Maxx Crosby. That isn’t surprising. Bowers, an All-Pro as a rookie in 2024, is currently third among AFC tight ends. Notably, even after missing a few games, Bowers continues to earn many votes. When healthy, he’s shown what earned him so many accolades as a rookie. His two- and three-touchdown games back up that reputation.
For Crosby, what can be said that hasn’t already been written and talked about?
He’s the engine driving the Raiders’ defense and has been for quite some time now. In a season where he’s at times being schemed incorrectly by his coaching staff, Crosby continues to make his impact. While the sack numbers are down—11th in the league with eight—he’s second in the NFL for tackles for a loss with 23. His total of 37 tackles actually leads all EDGE players too. Then we have his run defense, which continues to be an underrated part of his game; he leads everyone at his position right now with 26 run stops.
While much of the roster could be deconstructed if a new regime is thrust into power, it’s a positive development that there are still noteworthy players. Alongside Crosby and Bowers, you still have All-Pro punter AJ Cole and outstanding rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. Conversely, the lack of team success continues to hold back a player like Crosby from receiving higher, upper-echelon awards such as Defensive Player of the Year.
*Top Photo: Heidi Fang/Las Vegas Review-Journal