Ravens trading for star pass rusher Maxx Crosby, sending Raiders 2 first-round picks

Join the huddle. Sign up here for Ravens updates in your inbox.

The Ravens have agreed to trade for Pro Bowl defensive end Maxx Crosby, sending two first-round picks to the Las Vegas Raiders in one of the boldest swings of general manager Eric DeCosta’s tenure.

Crosby has been the subject of trade speculation since the end of last season. The Dallas Cowboys were also reportedly in the mix to acquire the five-time Pro Bowl pick.

DeCosta has been loath to part with first-round picks, but he made an exception for Crosby, who becomes the first veteran to command a first-round pick from the Ravens. The 28-year-old is a dogged run defender and has 69.5 career sacks in seven seasons, giving the Ravens and first-year coach Jesse Minter the premier edge rusher the team has lacked in recent years.

The Ravens have tried to bolster their pass rush in recent years but have not hit on enough game changers.

In 2020 they selected Nnamdi Madubuike in the third round, and he became the team’s sack leader by his fourth season. However, he suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 2, and his status for next season is unknown. Without him, the Ravens’ pass rush suffered.

The Ravens’ first-round pick in 2021, Odafe Oweh, hit 10 sacks in 2024 but struggled in 2025 before being traded to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Their 2022 second-round pick, David Ojabo, has had an injury-riddled career and has not made a splash when healthy. Their 2023 fourth-round pick, Tavius Robinson, has improved every season but had his 2025 trajectory tempered by a broken foot. Their 2024 third-round pick, Adisa Isaac, has remained sidelined by injury. And their 2025 second-round pick, Mike Green, contributed as a rookie but was not a game wrecker.

More often than not, this group, in addition to veteran outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, couldn’t get where it needed to last year. The Ravens had just 22 sacks when sending four or fewer pass rushers, according to Sports Info Solutions; only six teams had fewer. Their pressure rate on non-blitzes was 29.2%, according to SIS, fourth lowest in the NFL.

Crosby provides a known element and, at almost 29, he most likely has several more good seasons ahead of him.

Since he entered the league in 2019, Crosby has led all defensive linemen in solo tackles (277) and tackles for loss (133). He has ranked second in quarterback pressures (431) and quarterback hits (119). He’s third in total tackles (437), fourth in batted passes (20) and fifth in sacks.

However, the Ravens have to absorb Crosby’s hefty contract under their already tight salary cap. Crosby will be heading into the second season of his three-year, $106.5 million deal. Unless the Ravens work out a restructure, Crosby carries a 2026 cap hit of $30.69 million. That’s the fourth highest on the team, taking up 10.19% of the team’s space.

Prior to the trade, the Ravens had only a projected $19,534,916 available in cap space, according to Spotrac. That number has now flipped, and they are $10,291,000 over the salary cap.

The Ravens have until the start of the league year at 4 p.m. Wednesday to get their top 51 contracts under the salary cap. They need all 53 under the cap by the first game of the season.

To make space, the Ravens can extend and restructure other contracts or they can cut players.

Quarterback Lamar Jackson, who posted a mysterious “Boom” on X Friday afternoon, is the top candidate for a restructure or an extension. Owner Steve Bisciotti made it clear he wanted Jackson and DeCosta to get it done before the tampering period begins Monday.

An extension would alleviate Jackson’s $74.5 million cap hit in 2026 while giving the Ravens more years to spread out the rest of the money. A restructure would buy them only a year of relief.

Linebacker Roquan Smith, who is going into the fourth year of a five-year contract, is another candidate for an extension or restructure, although DeCosta said at the NFL combine he hadn’t discussed it with Smith. Madubuike could also be a candidate, but his uncertain status makes that more difficult.

Although the trade for Crosby shores up the defensive front, it lowers the chances the Ravens keep their offensive line together.

DeCosta said at the combine they had offered Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum a “market-setting” deal, but there has been no announcement he took it. Crosby’s contract makes it unlikely they will go higher in their offer and perhaps indicates they’ve accepted they won’t be paying Linderbaum next season.

This article has been updated.