The 2019 NFL Draft was a mixed bag for the Oakland Raiders. On the one hand, the team whiffed on defensive end Clelin Ferrell with the No. 4 overall pick, the first of two major miscues in the first round. On the other hand, they grabbed edge rusher Maxx Crosby in the fourth round at No. 106 overall.
While Ferrell never panned out for the Silver and Black, Crosby has become a franchise cornerstone and the team's best player. He has never quite gotten the respect that he deserves around the league, but Raider Nation has always rallied behind him.
Last season, Las Vegas was expected to have one of the best defensive lines in the league, but injuries to Malcolm Koonce and Christian Wilkins derailed those hopes. After suffering an injury himself in Week 2, Crosby finally got surgery near the end of the season, missing the final four contests in 2024.
Raiders' Maxx Crosby slighted in latest PFF edge rusher rankings
Crosby certainly did not have his best season last year under head coach Antonio Pierce, but the circumstances he dealt with were extreme. Still, PFF's Ryan Smith ranked Crosby outside of the top 5 in his latest NFL edge rusher rankings.
"Crosby had a down year by his standards in 2024, partly due to an ankle injury suffered in Week 2 against Baltimore that lingered throughout the season and ultimately required surgery," Smith wrote. "His 74.3 PFF grade and 54 total pressures were his lowest marks since 2020. However, considering his previous three-year stretch, during which he never graded below 90.1 overall and averaged 94 pressures per season, a bounce-back campaign seems well within reach for the former All-Pro."
Thankfully, Smith acknowledged why Crosby had a down campaign, and being the No. 6 player at the position league-wide is still an impressive feat.
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However, it is not an accurate indication of how good Crosby is. He is still ranked behind Nick Bosa, who has no business being ahead of him.
Bosa's stats were just marginally better than Crosby's, or worse in some cases, despite playing two more contests last year on a far better defense. Bosa beat out Crosby for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2019 when he shouldn't have, and it seems that those around the league cannot look past this snub even years later.
Fortunately, Crosby should be back amongst the best in the league this season, with Koonce and Wilkins hopefully cleared to play by Week 1. If the defensive line can live up to the expectations placed on them last year, then Crosby could have a golden path to the Defensive Player of the Year award.