Ravens Trade for Maxx Crosby, Become a Super Bowl Favorite Overnight

Few moves this offseason will likely be as impactful as the Ravens trading 2 first-round draft picks for defensive end Maxx Crosby.

Baltimore is clearly trying to take advantage of Lamar Jackson’s prime with a move like this, which instantly catapults them back into the discussion of legitimate Super Bowl contender after a disappointing 8-9 season.

Crosby is a constant thorn in the side of any offense he plays, and few players have been more disruptive since 2019 when he entered the league. In fact, no player in the NFL has more tackles for loss during that span.

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For Baltimore, the move addresses their biggest weakness from last season; the pass rush.

The Ravens finished the year ranked 28th in pressure percentage and sacks, and that no-doubt contributed to their inability to limit big plays through the air. They allowed more completions of 20 yards or more than any team in the NFL.

Any team will take a good pass rusher, but new Ravens Head Coach Jesse Minter is especially in need of one. While defensive coordinator with the Chargers, his defense ranked in the bottom-5 in blitz frequency a year ago and in the bottom half of the league the year before that.

He plays predominant zone coverage, ranking 6th in frequency last season and 3rd the year before that according to Cody Alexander of MatchQuarters. Having a great pass rusher certainly helps make those coverages more effective.

Crosby is exactly what they needed.

He has many ways that he wins as a pass rusher. He has great “get off” (fancy football term for being explosive out of your stance at the snap):

He has the power to drive through offensive tackles:

His combination of speed, quickness, and power make him effective on stunts inside: