Heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, the Raiders knew they likely wouldn’t have a chance to select Nick Bosa. Bosa was by far the best defensive end prospect in the draft, but there just wasn’t any chance that he would fall to No. 4 overall.
To no one’s surprise, Bosa had a monster rookie season with the 49ers and was arguably the best defender on their team. In the Super Bowl alone, he recorded 12 pressures and nearly stopped Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs by himself.
However, Raiders’ fans shouldn’t feel too bad about missing out on Bosa as they were able to unearth one of the best “diamonds in the rough” in the 2019 draft class in Maxx Crosby.
While Crosby wasn’t quite as dominant as Bosa, he was one of the most productive rookie edge defenders in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, Crosby finished the season with 45 quarterback pressures, the third-most among rookie edge defenders in 2019.
During the 2019 season, Crosby recorded 10 sacks to go along with 16 tackles for a loss, 14 quarterback hits, and four forced fumbles. He even received a few votes for the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The hope is that Crosby, in combination with Clelin Ferrell, can become one of the better young duos at defensive end in 2020. With defensive line guru Rod Marinelli now on board, expect to see continued growth from Crosby as he looks to repeat his double-digit sack season.
