If you watched the final game of the regular season between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers, you would be convinced that Maxx Crosby is the best defensive player in the league. All night long, he created pressure and bothered Justin Herbert.
Crosby had several games like that this season where he recorded double-digit pressures and was in the backfield all game. He took a major step forward in 2021 and now is widely viewed as one of the best defensive players in the league. But where exactly does he rank among his peers?
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they ranked the top-101 players from the 2021 season. Not surprisingly, Crosby finished among the best players in the league. In fact, he came in at No. 12, which makes him the fourth-ranked defender in the NFL. Here is what the site had to say about the star edge rusher:
“Crosby became just the third player in the last 15 years to register at least 100 pressures in the regular season, joining prime-J.J. Watt and Donald as the only defenders to achieve the feat.
Crosby did face an unusually weak run of opposing right tackles, but he maintained his effectiveness even when he faced better competition. His development was impressive, as he became one of the most potent edge defenders in the league.”
Crosby did not win the Defensive Player of the Year award and he also didn’t make the All-Pro Team as that went to T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett. However, Crosby led the NFL in pressures and was the most consistent edge rusher on a game-by-game basis.
He finished the season with 108 pressures and 20 quarterback hits. However, the Pro Bowl edge rusher totaled just eight sacks and 13 tackles for a loss.
The next stop for Crosby is to turn more of his pressures into sacks. However, that’s not always something he can control as sacks are often highly correlated to how long a quarterback holds on the ball.
Crosby is one of the most valuable defenders in the NFL today and he is only 24 years old. The sky is the limit for the defensive end for the Raiders.
