Apr 25, 2025; Henderson, NV, USA; Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll at a news conference introducing Ashton Jeanty as the first round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft at Intermountain Health Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

This Raiders Veteran is As Valuable as It Gets

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Ezekiel Trezevant | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 11:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders would never do it, but if they did, the Raiders could pull in a massive haul.

Bill Barnwell of ESPN predicted how much each team in the National Football League could get if it were to trade away its best players. He believes the Raiders would get at least a first-round pick, if not more, for star defensive end Maxx Crosby, hypothetically.

Of course the Raiders are not trading Crosby, but this does show how his value is seen amongst the NFL's top analysts.

"Crosby, who has toiled for one of the league's worst teams for most of his career, has been the lone reason to watch Raiders games at times. The 27-year-old missed five games last season, but before that point, he had stayed healthy while enduring the largest snap share of any other defender," Barnwell said.

"He ranks 14th in the league in pass rush win rate and 11th in pressure rate over the past three seasons, most of which has come without a secondary rusher to give opposing lines any pause. Crosby is earning nearly $36 million per season on his new deal, which makes it tough to generate the sort of surplus value needed to land multiple first-round picks. There aren't many better defensive players in the league right now, though."

Following training camp , Crosby echoed a similar sentiment as head coach Pete Carroll regarding the team's expectations this season. Crosby is back, and the Raiders have made enough changes this offseason to expect legitimate improvement.

"100%. I expect to win every time I come out on the field. I don't care what we're doing. It's every drill, everything we do, I'm expecting to win, and that's how I carry myself. But that's just an individual thing. Pete, it's the same thing; he's been winning at the highest level for a long time, but it's got to be all of us if we want a chance. And so, we've got to be able to push each other," Crosby said.

"We've got to be able to pull others in our direction and get everybody on that same wavelength so we can go out there and execute on Sundays. And we've got a lot of work to get there, it's July right now. We don't play our first game until September. We've got a lot of work to do, but I know the guys are going to put in the work. And I know for me, like I expect to win. Every time I go out there, I expect to win. I don't care."

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

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