The Las Vegas Raiders decided to bolster their defensive line with the No. 74 pick in the third round by drafting former Auburn Tigers star Keyron Crawford. After nearly trading Maxx Crosby this offseason, the Silver and Black are providing more help in the pass rush for the veteran.
Crawford finished the 2025 college football season with a 76.3 overall defensive grade from PFF, placing 166th out of 852 qualifying edge defenders. His pass-rush grade was 85.8, ranking 48th at the position, while his run-defense grade was 73.9, ranking 237th.
As a pass rusher, the former Tigers standout totaled 43 pressures, including five sacks, 12 quarterback hits, and 26 hurries. Against the run, he recorded 23 solo tackles and forced one fumble during the season.
Following the Raiders’ selection of Crawford, the 22-year-old spoke with the media and shared his thoughts on playing alongside Crosby on the team’s defensive line.
“Maxx is definitely one of my favorite players just because of how he attacks the field and how he carries himself,” Crawford told reporters on April 24. “I can’t lie, I’m going to pick apart everything about him.
“It’s about taking that and translating it to my game, my routine and my schedule, and trying to be the best person as well. Being able to learn from him at a young age is important, but at the same time, I still want to surpass him. If I can’t do that, I’d definitely love to play alongside him on the other edge.”
Raiders Receive Praise Over Offseason Moves
Crawford is part of the Raiders’ rebuild, which is garnering praise from one national media host, who sees similarities to the Chicago Bears‘ rebuild that led to a playoff appearance during the 2025 season.
FS1 host Colin Cowherd gave praise to the Silver and Black for the moves that the team has made this offseason.
“It’s inexcusable what Cleveland, the Jets, Arizona, and Tennessee have become, and for the record, the Raiders have been in that group, but I think their GM is super sharp,” Cowherd said on the April 24 edition of “The Herd.” “I watched that draft [on April 23], and I’m like, this is the Chicago Bears model.
“They get Ben Johnson, they fix the O-line, they’ve got their quarterback, and they just add some elements to make Fernando Mendoza’s or Caleb Williams’ job easier. So the Raiders get an offensive coach. They’ve got their quarterback.”
Fernando Mendoza Is Being Set Up to Succeed in Las Vegas
Moreover, Cowherd went into detail regarding how, like the Bears with Caleb Williams, the Raiders have set up Mendoza to succeed whenever the young QB takes over for the Silver and Black.
“They get the best offensive lineman available, “ Cowherd added. “Remember, the Bears went out and got Joe Thuney, and the Raiders get Tyler Linderbaum, who I love from Baltimore. It’s not that difficult. The Bears said, ‘We want more help. Let’s get a Luther Burden. Let’s get another guy. ‘ They went and got Jalen Nailor from Minnesota, the Vikings, who was their third very explosive guy.
“I also think the Raiders are going to go get another wide receiver [on Day 2]. They’ve got nine picks for the rest of the weekend. To me, it’s a very Chicago Bears model. If the Raiders played in any other division, I’d have them going from three wins to eight or nine. They’ll probably go from three wins to six or seven, but this is the model. It’s not that hard.”
Raiders’ Keyron Crawford Sends Strong Message to Maxx Crosby