Maxx Crosby is on the move after two teams pulled off a Friday evening blockbuster trade. He is going from the silver and black to purple and gold.
Videos by FanBuzz
According to multiple NFL insiders, the Baltimore Ravens are trading for the superstar defender. The AFC North team is giving up two first-round picks — one this season and one in 2027. The pick this year is the 14th overall.
The Las Vegas Raiders now have two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, which the team can use to lock up some top players. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the favorite to land with the Raiders as the first overall pick, but the team will have multiple options at No. 14.
The Ravens, for comparison, will bring in a cornerstone piece for new head coach Jesse Minter. The former Chargers defensive coordinator will try to rebuild a unit that ranked 24th in total defense and 30th in passing defense. This defense gave up more than 4,000 passing yards while going 8-9 and missing the playoffs.
Crosby, a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has become one of the key playmakers on the Raiders. "Mad Maxx" is a five-time Pro Bowl player who has recorded 69.5 sacks, 133 tackles for loss, 164 QB hits, and one interception. He has also forced 11 fumbles.
While Crosby has been the heart and soul of the Raiders defense, his time with the team appeared to be nearing its conclusion this past season. He played through a lingering knee issue and made 15 starts, but the team decided to shut him down for the season with two games remaining.
This move helped the Raiders move closer to securing the all-important first overall pick, but it reportedly angered the veteran defender. He left the facility after learning he would head to Injured Reserve, and he made multiple posts on social media showing him jumping on a trampoline and playing basketball.
Now-former head coach Pete Carroll even acknowledged that he expected Crosby to react to this move in such a manner.
"We've been talking about it, and it was exactly what you would think he would do and he should do," Carroll said in December. "I agree with him 1,000% on how he responded, and I (would have) responded the same way."
