Oct 20, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) during pregame warmups before an NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Set for a Dominant 2025

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders have an anchor on their defense that they can rely on to save them from sticky situations and make the opposing quarterback's job that much harder. Maxx Crosby is entering his seventh year in the league, and he just continues to impress and is one of the driving forces as to why the Raiders are known across the NFL as a pesky defense.

That's usually what they hang their hat on, but 2024 was a hiccup for the team on both sides of the ball, especially defensively. It isn't as if their offense gets a pass for how ineffective it was in 2024, but the reality is that the Raiders simply have more star power on defense, not to mention a defensive-minded head coach in Antonio Pierce.

Despite Pierce's experience in the NFL and their having stars on defense, none of that mattered in the face of relentless injuries to key players. Christian Wilkins has never had a season as injury-ridden as he had in 2024 in his entire career, and this streak of unluckiness extended to Crosby.

His injury lingered with him throughout the season and severely prohibited him from playing as well as he usually does. Ryan Smith, sports writer for Pro Football Focus, includes Crosby on his list of five NFL All-Pros looking to bounce back in 2025.

"Crosby slid to the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft but has been one of the bigger draft steals in recent memory. He earned elite PFF overall grades in each season from 2021-2023, and his 93.2 mark over that span trailed only Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons among edge defenders", said Smith.

"2024 was a down year for Crosby, due in large part to an ankle injury he suffered in Week 2 against Baltimore that lingered throughout the season and required surgery at the end of the campaign. His 74.3 PFF overall grade still ranked 25th out of 119 qualifying edge defenders, a reminder of how dominant he is when healthy again".

"Back in March, the Raiders signed Crosby to a three-year, $106.5 million extension ($91.5 million guaranteed). The two-time All-Pro will turn 28 years old in August and is in the prime of his career, so it’s a deal the team should reap the rewards from in 2025 and beyond".

With a head coaching switch from Pierce to Pete Carroll, both sides of the ball should be greatly improved for the Raiders. Crosby is looking to get back to his All-Pro form, and if there's any year for him to show out, it's in 2025. This team may be a dark horse playoff contender if their defense is able to keep teams in check and their offense is able to stick to their game plan.

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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