Raiders: Edge rusher Maxx Crosby finally has the help he needs
By Brad Weiss
Maxx Crosby has been outstanding since being selected by the Raiders franchise in 2019, and he finally has the help he needs coming off the edge.
The 2022 Las Vegas Raiders are on a mission, after making it to the playoffs last season despite so many issues on and off the field. This offseason, the franchise went out and brought in new leadership, adding David Ziegler as general manager, and Josh McDaniels as the team’s head coach.
Now, they can start to turn their attention to the football field, as training camp will kick off next week in preparation for the Hall of Fame Game. Throughout the offseason, Las Vegas brought in elite talent on both sides of the ball, including Chandler Jones, a former All-Pro edge rusher with the Arizona Cardinals.
Jones takes a lot of pressure off of Maxx Crosby, a player who has been elite since being drafted on Day 3 of the 2019 NFL Draft. A steal in every sense of the word, Crosby has racked up 25 sacks in three seasons, established himself as one of the best young players in the game, and is on the doorstep of taking his game to the next level.
To do so, he needed more talent around him, and after this offseason, he finally has it.
Raiders should have an elite pass rush in 2022
Jones is an outstanding piece to put around Crosby, and the team also brought in some talented players at the defensive tackle spot. The linebacker group has been revamped, and there is actually talent in the secondary, including Rock Ya-Sin, who is a proven player at the cornerback position.
There has recently been a buzz that Las Vegas could bring in Ndamukong Suh to plug the middle of this 3-4 base defense under Patrick Graham. That kind of move would help Crosby even more, but when you consider the talent around him, the Raiders have another elite edge rusher in Chandler Jones, and with this new scheme, the expectations could not be higher for No. 98 this season.