Oakland Raiders superlatives for the 2019 NFL Draft class
By Justin Fried
Biggest Reach: Maxx Crosby, DE (Eastern Michigan)
The Raiders didn’t make one egregious reach in this year’s draft — apart from the obvious selection of Clelin Ferrell but we have a different award saved just for him. That said, their fourth-round selection of defensive end Maxx Crosby did leave a few scratching their heads.
Now, the Raiders obviously had a massive need at edge rusher entering the draft, and even putting it that way is an understatement. Even despite their selection of Ferrell in the first round, it wasn’t all too surprising to see the team double-up at the position later on.
The surprising part came with the player they ultimately picked.
It’s not as if Crosby is a bad prospect per se. In fact, the Eastern Michigan product offers upside as a developmental pass rusher who already possesses strong athletic traits. But this just wasn’t the best pick to make at this spot.
If the Raiders were going to go edge rusher again here, they would have been better off selecting players like Texas’ Charles Omenihu, Clemson’s Austin Bryant, or even Iowa’s Anthony Nelson who was selected with the very next pick. Each would step in as an ideal scheme fit with a higher floor than Crosby.
NFL.com graded Crosby as a sixth-round prospect while each of the aforementioned three was given a fourth-round grade or better meaning that even scouts agreed this was a bit high for the talented MAC defender.
Of course, Crosby could still develop into a starting-caliber defensive end down the line. He must bulk up a bit more and get stronger at the point of attack, but the athletic potential is there.
Still, it’s safe to say that this was a bit of a reach at this spot — even if it wasn’t exactly egregious.