The Maxx Crosby trade on Friday night between the Las Vegas Raiders and Baltimore Ravens shifted the NFL landscape. Baltimore sent over two first-round picks for the 28-year-old, bolstering its defense. One pick is in 2026, while the other is in 2027.
After months of circulating rumors, Crosby has finally been moved, and Vegas has received some hefty Draft capital. With both teams facing pivotal moments, it’s worth asking: Was this a good move for each side?
The Raiders have been in a perpetual rebuild, with their last winning season coming in 2021. They went 10-7 and lost in the Wild Card round of the Playoffs. They’ve gone 4-13 and 3-14 in 2024 and 2025, respectively, and are now on their fourth head coach in five years.
Crosby has been the biggest star in Vegas, recording 69.5 sacks and 439 total tackles over his seven-year career. Even when the team is bad, he’s always the silver lining. Moving on from him is a risky move for Vegas, but a necessary one.
It’s the worst-kept secret in the NFL that the Raiders will select Indiana’s Heisman-winning quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, first overall in this year’s Draft. The 22-year old took college football by storm, throwing for a career high 3,535 yards and 41 touchdowns. The Hoosiers went undefeated in 2025 on the way to a National Championship.
Vegas now not only holds the first overall pick, but they hold the 14th as well. They can replace Crosby with that pick, or they can find themselves in contention for weapons for Mendoza. Arizona State’s wide receiver Jordyn Tyson could be a real option for them here.
Moving a megastar like Crosby, who is arguably the face of your franchise, is a tough decision. He’s irreplaceable, although they will try to do so. This is about setting up the future under new head coach Klint Kubiak. He just won Super Bowl LX as the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator and will be looking to make a splash.
It’s hard to give this trade anything less than an A. Losing a player of Crosby’s caliber will, of course, be felt, but the return is worth it here. Vegas now holds 11 total Draft picks in 2026, four of which are in the top-100, and three of those are in the top-50. They can’t afford to miss with that kind of capital.
The Ravens started the offseason with a bang by firing 18-year head coach John Harbaugh. He’s now the New York Giants’ head coach, and Baltimore has replaced him with Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
This is a terrific move for a defensive-minded head coach like Minter. His defense in Los Angeles ranked fifth in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (179.9) and eighth in rushing yards allowed per game (105.4) in 2025.
In acquiring Crosby, Baltimore now will not pick in the Draft until 45th overall. It’s only other pick in the top-100 comes at 80th. They do, however, hold 10 total picks, and could move some of those if they want to try to move back up.
Trading away two first-rounders is a win-now move for the Ravens. They’ve gone to the playoffs in three of the last four seasons. The closest they’ve been is the 2024-25 AFC Conference championship before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Baltimore’s two-time NFL MVP quarterback, Lamar Jackson, is 29 years old. His play style relies heavily on his athleticism, and after missing four games last year with a leg injury, that was diminished. Adding Crosby strengthens a defense that ranked 30th in the NFL last year in pass yards allowed per game (247.9) and 18th in points allowed per game (23.4).
If Minter’s system can turn this defense into a real threat, Jackson won’t have to put on his Superman cape every week. Crosby may just be the solution to that. This could age poorly if Baltimore doesn’t get over the hump, but right now, this gets an A-.
Despite rumors of Crosby being traded to the Chicago Bears, this may have been the best move for all parties involved. Chicago is still building something with second-year head coach Ben Johnson and shouldn’t give up two first-round picks.
The Dallas Cowboys were also rumored to be in contention for Crosby, but ultimately fell short. Their defense could certainly benefit from Mad Maxx’s talents, but the real issue lies in their secondary. They may be better off now and can focus on addressing the bigger holes.
The Ravens were a perfect fit for a Crosby trade. They’re in their Super Bowl window and making a move to finally hoist the Lombardi Trophy. They have a top 15 Draft pick in 2026, something that was extremely enticing to Vegas.
At the end of the day, this is all about the man worthy of two first-rounders. Crosby now gets the opportunity to chase a Super Bowl ring. At 28 years old, he’s still in the prime of his career. He now joins a roster with Jackson and Derrick Henry, along with defensive stars like Kyle Hamilton and Nnamdi Madabuike. Baltimore now has the star locked down until his initial contract expires in 2029.
Time will tell how this trade ages. We’ll undoubtedly see social media graphics of “Who won this trade” in the coming years. By that point, Baltimore may add another trophy to its shelves, and the Raiders may finally be contenders again.
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