Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Mad Maxx: Raiders pass rusher looks poised for a breakout year

Raiders Mini Camp

Steve Marcus

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) stretches during a practice at the Raiders facility in Henderson Tuesday, June 15, 2021.

All of last season, quarterback Derek Carr would lead the Raiders through their pre-practice stretching routine, racing out in front of his teammates at its conclusion and delivering a short message before they got to work.

This year, he’s had a running mate right alongside him, whom he’s even let have the last word on a couple of occasions. Third-year defensive end Maxx Crosby has been at the forefront of the Raiders’ offseason practices over the past month—which concluded June 18—because of his assertiveness, intensity and transformed physique.

“He’s come in in great shape,” new defensive coordinator Gus Bradley said. “I like the way he looks, the way he’s practicing. He’s leaned up, he’s fast, and I’ve been very impressed with him.”

Important upcoming dates for the Raiders

• July 27: Start of training camp for 90-man roster

• August 14: Preseason game vs. Seattle Seahawks at Allegiant Stadium

• August 17: Roster cuts to 85 players

• August 24: Roster cuts to 80 players

• August 31: Final cuts to official 53-man roster

• September 13: Regular-season opener vs. Baltimore Ravens at Allegiant Stadium (Monday Night Football)

The Raiders allocated substantial resources this offseason to repair what has been one of the NFL’s worst defensive lines and pass rushes over the past few season. They brought in a proven Pro Bowl pass rusher (Yannick Ngakoue), a solid interior starter (Quinton Jefferson) and a highly touted reclamation project (Solomon Thomas).

But there’s now a feeling that the primary remedy might have already been on the roster. There’s a sense that the 23-year-old Crosby could make the leap from tantalizing prospect and reliable contributor to dominant force and consistent difference maker this season—and that feeling’s coming from inside and outside of the organization.

Longtime Raider tormenter and former Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, perhaps the NFL’s best pass rusher of the past decade, has worked out with Crosby and shared his highest praise. “We’ve been talking pass rush for years, and we’ve been friends for a long time. … He’s a great guy for the Raiders,” Miller said after his local Pass Rush Summit, which Crosby attended. “He’s their franchise guy. We’ve been playing against this guy for a while, and I’m a huge fan of his game.”

Some of Crosby’s best performances have come against Miller’s Broncos, including a Week 17 Las Vegas win in Denver last year, in which he contributed a sack and two blocked field goals in the late, comeback victory. That capped what was seen as a good, but not great, sophomore season for Crosby.

Even though he started every game and rarely came off the field, Crosby saw a decline in sacks (from 10 to 7) and tackles (47 to 39) compared with his eye-opening rookie campaign. More advanced numbers similarly dwindled with his Pro Football Focus player grade going from an above-average 65.4 in 2019 to a mediocre 57.8 in 2020.

But the cause of some of the decline, it turns out, might have been beyond Crosby’s control. In January, he revealed on social media that he had undergone a pair of surgeries—for a broken hand and a torn labrum—two injuries he played through most of the season. He refused to say that those ailments held him back, but either one would typically cause players to miss multiple games.

“That’s part of the game; you have to deal with certain things, injuries,” Crosby said. “There’s a lot of things that go on during a football season. It’s a long season, people get hurt, people deal with other things. It is what it is. I’m just glad I’m healthy, and I’m looking forward to next year.”

Crosby also revealed to Raiders.com that he “got lost in the sauce” and was “drinking too much” after his successful rookie season but has now been sober for more than a year. After his surgeries, he says, his only focus has been on getting back to football as soon as possible.

He began working out and became a mainstay at the team’s Henderson headquarters, getting into what appears to be the best shape he’s been in since the Raiders selected him in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. Listed at 6-foot-5, 255 pounds a season ago, Crosby might still be about the same size, but he has a more muscular and leaner frame.

His body type now looks like it might fit in better among the tight ends than the bulkier defensive linemen. The hope is that his new body will make him quicker and make his pass-rushing moves, like spins, more lethal.

Crosby’s offseason diligence has also inspired teammates. “I think that Maxx and myself are the best duo that’s going to hit the scene. I’m already putting that out there,” Ngakoue said. “Maxx is a hard worker. He’s a guy that’s putting in the work. Literally, I’m lifting weights right now, and Maxx is in there doing things to get better. It’s the dedication and commitment. I can play all day with a guy like that.”

When Ngakoue signed with the Raiders as a free agent, most assumed he would become the face of the defensive front, with everyone else serving as complementary pieces. But that won’t be the case if Crosby reaches his potential.

If Crosby has his way, everyone will take a step forward. He has been promoting a belief in progress in his teammates all offseason. “Everybody wants to succeed,” Crosby said. “The defense has struggled, and we’re trying to turn that around.”

This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.