The Las Vegas Raiders’ 2019 draft class is already on their way to big things. Many of the players who had great expectations such as Josh Jacobs and Hunter Renfrow performed better than expected, but the Raiders also had breakout stars like Maxx Crosby.
Crosby is well on his way to being the next great Raiders defensive lineman. He had the second-most sacks of any rookie last year with 10 and was up for consideration for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Crosby’s speed, agility and size allowed him to break through opposing offensive lines with ease, putting up big sack numbers. After a season full of sacks, Crosby says his favorite came during Week 7 against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, via Raiders.com:
“My favorite sack would have to be, sacking Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field. He’s an absolute legend, so for me getting him was humongous. Built my confidence, definitely and I’ve always been watching him since I was little, so getting a sack on Lambeau field was surreal and that was a great moment. Has to be the best sack of the year for me.”
While Rodgers was singled out, he was not the only one Crosby got to last season. Crosby’s biggest game of the year came against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11 when he finished with four sacks on opposing quarterback Ryan Finley.
With what Crosby was able to do in his rookie season, many people expect him to be just as good, if not better, for the upcoming season. With the coronavirus affecting players’ abilities to access team facilities, it may become more difficult to practice, but players should have plenty of time if the spread of the virus weakens.
Crosby was selected in the fourth round but clearly has more talent than the average fourth-rounder. With that in mind, expectations for improvement do not fall solely on Crosby. With another year under their belt, general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden should hopefully be able to get some more great talent out of the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. The Raiders had an excellent offseason filling some very obvious holes in their roster, so the draft should be used to supplement the rest of the team.
Of course, finding a gem like Crosby is not something that can be done year in and year out. Hopefully, Mayock and Gruden can continue to help Crosby grow but bring in some new talent through the draft as well.
