The Las Vegas Raiders unearthed a gem when they took Maxx Crosby in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Crosby was considered undersized at his position, though he had a high-end motor to help him get over any physical limitations. However, Crosby almost immediately blew expectations out of the water as he improved every year and is now considered one of the best pass rushers in the NFL.
The star defensive end turned in the best season of his career in 2023 as he started in all 17 regular season games and recorded a career-high 14.5 sacks to go along with 90 combined tackles, 23 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Crosby is a terror off the edge and is poised to lead the defense during the 2024 NFL campaign.
Marvin Lewis was brought in this offseason to serve as head coach Antonio Pierce’s lead assistant, and he had high praise for Crosby via Sean Zittel of Vegas Sports Today:
“I had the chance to be around Bruce Smith & Darrell Green…Champ Bailey…Shannon Sharpe…was fortunate enough to draft Ray Lewis..hall of fame players…and Maxx has those qualities.”
Raiders assistant head coach, Marvin Lewis, compares Maxx Crosby to legendary former players… pic.twitter.com/KgOQiADaFn
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) May 29, 2024
Any time a coach compares a player to an NFL Hall of Famer, it shouldn’t be taken lightly. In this case, it sounds like Lewis has already seen enough from Crosby to see qualities of greatness in him. Given his previous obstacles, it’s difficult not to admire what Crosby’s made of himself since entering the league, and he’s a large reason why the Raiders are in the position they’re in now.
Under Piece, Las Vegas finished the 2023 season on a high note, winning five out of their final nine games impressively. The defense looked like a completely different unit, and Crosby was there to lead the charge.
How the Raiders build on last season’s momentum remains to be seen, but there’s no doubt that the team will be counting on Crosby to help them get back to the playoffs.
Maxx Crosby willing to help Raiders’ Tyree Wilson this offseason
Aside from Crosby, the Raiders will also be hoping for Tyree Wilson to make a leap after an up-and-down rookie season. Wilson is fully healthy heading into training camp and Crosby has already come out and said that he is willing to help the second-year player.
