The Las Vegas Raiders have certainly endured their share of struggles during the NFL Draft over the last two decades. Countless early-round picks have not panned out, and the franchise has not found value in the later rounds like other teams have been able to.
Defensive end Maxx Crosby, however, has been the exception, not the rule. Crosby was taken with the No. 106 pick in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and he has been a revelation for the Silver and Black. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro is widely considered among the league's best.
Crosby signed a historic three-year, $106.5 million extension with the Raiders in March, as new general manager John Spytek could not wait to lock him up for the future. Expectations are high for him and Las Vegas' defensive line group this season after a disappointing campaign in 2024.
Maxx Crosby trails Broncos' Zach Allen in NFL player rankings
On Sunday, Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone released his ranking of the league's top 100 players ahead of the 2025 season. He had Crosby ranked at No. 30, which is somewhat fair considering the down year he had last season due to injury.
However, sitting at No. 28 on the list was Broncos defensive end Zach Allen, who has absolutely no business being ranked ahead of Crosby on any list. One would be hard-pressed to find any expert who believes Allen is better than Crosby, so this ranking is a bit strange.
Allen did out-sack Crosby in 2024, recording 8.5 compared to Crosby's 7.5. However, Allen played four more games than Crosby, and the Raiders star still had more tackles for loss during last season. Over the last three years, Crosby has 34.5 sacks, 62 tackles for loss and 87 quarterback hits.
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By contrast, Allen has just 19.0 sacks, 33 tackles for loss and 84 quarterback hits. Not to mention, Allen played on an elite defensive line that featured six players who recorded 5.0 sacks or more. However, Allen was third on his own team in sacks behind Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper.
Crosby had his work cut out for him, as his running mate, Malcolm Koonce, missed the entire season, and $110 million defensive tackle Christian Wilkins only played four full games. Las Vegas only had three players with 5.0 sacks or more, but none more than Crosby's 7.5.
Last year, Crosby was almost by himself out there at times, facing double teams and chips that a player like Allen would not face, given the talent around him. Crosby also recorded a higher Pro Football Focus grade, earning a mark of 74.3 compared to Allen's 63.7.
As a run defender, Crosby is also far better than Allen, as he was given a top-20 grade in 2024, whereas Allen ranked 120th. This season, with a healthy supporting cast, Crosby should far exceed his production from last season and put this ridiculous ranking to shame.