The Raiders had three first-round picks in the 2019 draft, selecting Clelin Ferrell, Josh Jacobs, and Johnathan Abram. But arguably their best selection came in the fourth round when they selected Maxx Crosby.
Crosby had a massive rookie season for the Raiders and is in contention for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. In a recent article by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report, Crosby was selected at pick No. 17 in a redraft of the 2019 first round.
Crosby finished his rookie campaign with 47 tackles and 10.0 sacks, and he showed the promise of an elite edge-rusher. New York snaps him up here, pairing him with free-agent find Markus Golden—who played on a one-year deal this season—to give the Giants a pair of 10-sack guys in 2019.
While it’s not hard to make the case that Crosby would go in the first round in a re-draft of the 2019 draft, pick No. 17 might still be too low. Crosby was one of the most athletic defensive ends in the draft and was able to produce despite having a broken hand. Outside of Nick Bosa, Crosby might be the best defender in the class.
Considering where the Raiders found Crosby, you have to give the front office a lot of credit for crushing this pick.
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