LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 07: Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders walks on the sideline before a game against the Denver Broncos at Allegiant Stadium on December 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Ravens are adding one of the best pass rushers in the league to their defense. Maxx Crosby is on his way to Baltimore, with first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 heading to Las Vegas in exchange,
per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
This is a massive swing by Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta. The franchise has
never traded a first-round pick for a player,
according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. Now, they have moved two, including the No. 14 pick in April’s draft, which would have been tied for their highest selection since 2016.
In return, Baltimore received Crosby, one of the premier edge defenders in the NFL. The 2019 fourth-round pick has 69.5 sacks and 133 tackles for loss in his seven-year career, including 32 sacks and 63 TFLs in the last three seasons. He will immediately upgrade a Ravens pass rush that floundered without Nnamdi Madubuike in 2025 and finished with just 30 sacks, the third-fewest in the league. Crosby is also an elite run defender and an iron man who plays almost every snap, which is highly unusual for an edge rusher.
However, two first-round picks is still a massive price to pay for a 28-year-old on a huge contract. Crosby is owed just under $116 million over the next four years with $30 million in guaranteed salary in 2026,
per OverTheCap. His $29 million salary in 2027 will also become guaranteed on March 13. The trade will not be processed until the start of the new league year next week, by which time the Ravens must have at least $30.7 million in cap space (including Crosby’s $690,000 workout bonus). Only after that can his contract be restructured to reduce 2026 cap hit.
At the moment, Baltimore is a little more than $12 million short. They can free up the space by restructuring Lamar Jackson’s contract or, better yet, signing him to an extension. That could be the next major domino to drop, and do not forget that the Ravens want to retain Tyler Linderbaum, too. Both are trickier deals to get done than sending a Godfather offer to the Raiders, who are in full rebuild mode. Crosby also made it clear that he wanted out of Las Vegas. Multiple teams attempted to acquire him, including the Cowboys, but DeCosta, shockingly, offered two first-rounders with other GMs unwilling to do so. It is unlikely that he would be willing to part ways with so much draft capital without some confidence about Jackson’s future.
As with any trade, only time will tell if this was the right move for the Ravens. It is certainly an unexpected one, but so was the team’s decision to fire longtime head coach John Harbaugh in January. Owner Steve Bisciotti is clearly embracing change after eight years with Jackson without a Super Bowl appearance.
Acquiring Crosby is a major step towards reversing that trend. Baltimore has gotten decent production out of players like Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh in recent years, but they have not had a truly elite edge rusher for almost a decade. That showed up in a big way in 2025. Madubuike’s season-ending neck injury in Week 2 virtually destroyed the Ravens’ pass rush, and it never quite recovered. The uncertain nature of his injury stirred speculation that he would not play again, putting defensive line at the top of the team’s list of offseason priorities. Now, not only will Crosby reinforce the unit, it appears that Madubuike is headed for a return.
Nnamdi Madubuike in the lab!
pic.twitter.com/Egk14U2tSb
— SleeperRavens (@SleeperRavenss)
March 7, 2026
If Madubuike is indeed able to return to the field this year, DeCosta can turn his attention to the Ravens’ other major roster hole: their offensive line. He will no longer have the No. 14 pick –
often tabbed for Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane – to do so, but he can comfortably focus the team’s remaining resources on the unit.
Crosby, meanwhile, will join an EDGE room that currently consists of Tavius Robinson, Adisa Isaac, and Mike Green, who were all drafted in the last three years and combined for seven sacks last year. Crosby will demand attention from opposing offensive lines, as will Madubuike (if he plays) and Travis Jones. That should create plenty of winnable 1-on-1 pass rushing opportunities, especially for Green. The 2025 second-rounder’s explosiveness and bend off the edge will be well-complemented by Crosby’s ability to collapse the pocket.
This move is also an excellent welcome present for Minter, somewhat reminiscient of the Texans trading up to draft Will Anderson after hiring DeMeco Ryans as their head coach. The Ravens were certainly expecting Minter and new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver to revamp their pass rush, but Crosby will supercharge it. He will make it easier for the Ravens to get pressure with four rushers, allowing them to allocate more resources to coverage. He is also another weapon – along with Kyle Hamilton – that can be used to scheme up pressure with stunts, blitzes, and simulated pressures.
Today’s trade does not come without risk. Giving up two first-rounders could deprive the Ravens of cheap starting talent they desperately need with such a top-heavy salary cap picture. Crosby has also played
a ton of snaps and missed seven games due to injury in the last two seasons – though he wanted to play through it last year. His production has ticked down as a result, and he turns 30 next year. He will have to make a massive impact to justify the cost of acquiring him.
Regardless, it will be difficult for any Ravens fan not to be excited about adding a player of Crosby’s caliber at a position that badly needed to be upgraded. Not only that, but DeCosta has also demonstrated a willingness to go the extra mile to improve the roster. The message out of Baltimore is clear: despite last season’s disappointing results, the Ravens fully intend to rebound back into Super Bowl contention in 2026.
