After trading down two spots and taking Arizona safety Treydan Stukes at No. 38 overall, the Las Vegas Raiders next went on the clock at No. 67 early in the third round. The direction they would go with that pick was bound to be interesting, and indeed it was.
They selected Auburn edge rusher Keyron Crawford, who wasn't exactly on Raider Nation's radar. But Crawford is a good prospect with tons of upside who split his college career between Arkansas State and Auburn.
His sack production was unremarkable, with a high of 5.5 in 2023 and just 5.0 last season. But he did have at least 9.5 tackles for loss in each of those same two seasons, when he was a starter (2023 at Arkansas State and last year at Auburn).
Drafting of Keyron Crawford makes Raiders' view of Tyree Wilson crystal clear
According to ESPN's Seth Walder, Crawford's 16.7% pressure rate last season was 15th-best among all FBS players, and he had an 89th percentile "get off" among edge rushers, according to Telemetry Sports. Both of those metrics are incredibly promising.
According to Tristen Kuhn of Silver and Black Pride, Crawford's pass-rush win-rate last season (19.7%) was behind only Rueben Bain, David Bailey, Romello Height, Akheem Mesidor and Derrick Moore among Power 4 edge rushers. That is elite company to be in.
Crawford only started his football journey as a senior in high school, so he is still fairly raw with his best football lined up to be ahead of him. A new coaching staff brings a clean slate for young players who haven't reached their potential. In the Raiders' case, many players qualify for that kind of mulligan.
Tyree Wilson has not been used in a way that has maximized his strengths thus far in his career. Former defensive line coach Rob Leonard's move to defensive coordinator may change that, but the 7th overall pick in the 2023 draft has a lot to prove as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
No, the Raiders are not going to pick up Wilson's fifth-year option by May 1 and tie themselves to paying him nearly $14.5 million in 2027. So, the presence of Crawford spells quite a bit of doom for his future in Las Vegas.
While Crawford may not have a big defensive role as a rookie, at least early in the season, any snaps he does get are lined up to be snaps Wilson would otherwise get in a critical season for his career. And on the idea that Crawford would have a bigger role next year, that means Wilson could be gone.
It's worth noting that Malcolm Koonce is also entering a contract year after signing another one-year deal this offseason. So the Raiders have an eye on the future at edge rusher by drafting Crawford. But the pick is the crystal clearest message they can send about how they view Wilson's future in Silver and Black.
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