The Las Vegas Raiders, after taking Fernando Mendoza and Treydan Stukes with their first two selections, entered Round 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft with no shortage of needs to still address. Among the biggest of them were wide receiver, right tackle, defensive tackle and backup running back.
Equipped with an extra third-round pick, thanks to a savvy John Spytek trade-back in Round 2, the Raiders could afford to be a bit bolder with the first of their two selections. And bold, they were. Las Vegas selected Auburn edge rusher Keyron Crawford with the No. 67 overall pick.
If he wasn't on your radar, Raider Nation, that is okay. You aren't the only one. But the knee-jerk reaction to this pick is that Las Vegas has faith in its ability to develop more raw players like Crawford, and they firmly believe in his character and upside.
It's a gamble that Spytek was clearly willing to take; one that they hope pays off.
Las Vegas Raiders are banking on upside with Keyron Crawford selection
Because this is the first time that a lot of fans are hearing about Crawford, let's dive into some basics. Crawford stands at over 6-foot-4 and weighs 253 pounds. He isn't the longest prospect, nor does he have massive hands, but Crawford is a good athlete who is just scratching the surface.
To put into perspective just how much more Crawford can grow, he has only been playing the sport since his senior year of high school. He is very much in the early stages of his football development, and the Raiders obviously feel like they have some runway to let him grow and eventually blossom.
As for what he does well, Crawford is very twitchy and bendy with the ability to both rush the passer and be a "Buck" edge rusher, which means he can drop back into coverage as well. He has good speed in pursuit and active hands, and he improved a ton from 2024 to 2025.
Now, Crawford is still very rough around the edges. Again, he is inexperienced. He'll need to develop several pass-rush counters and improve his technique in every facet of the game, and Crawford's recognition is clearly that of a player who hasn't been playing the game for all that long.
But he is still just 22 years old and will now be getting the best coaching of his career in Las Vegas. Crawford has already found ways to be productive, as he recorded 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks in his final year at Auburn, also notching an interception and a forced and recovered fumble.
Look, the Crawford pick wasn't "exciting" for a lot of fans, myself included, because we just didn't know a whole lot about him. But he has some incredibly promising tools to develop, and it is clear that the Raiders believe in their ability to get him where he needs to be.
With only Maxx Crosby and Kwity Paye under contract through 2027 in the defensive end room, Crawford will have a chance to make a massive leap in Year 2 after learning from a handful of great veterans as a rookie. And, just a reminder: Nobody was that excited about Crosby's selection, either.
Add us as a preferred source on Google