Maxx Crosby Ranked No. 24 on NFL’s 2026 Top 100 List, Says ‘More Is Required’
Maxx Crosby knows exactly where he stands heading into the 2026 season. The Raiders edge rusher checked in at No. 24 on the NFL’s 2026 Top 100 list, a ranking voted on by players across the league. It’s his fifth straight appearance on the list and his fourth consecutive year cracking the top 25, according to Raiders.com.
That’s two spots lower than where he finished a year ago at No. 22. Crosby didn’t waste time responding. “24. More Is Required,” he posted on X — a short, blunt reaction that fits how he’s carried himself all offseason.
24. More Is Required. 🦅🐍 https://t.co/iLmhj6Ntu9
— Maxx Crosby (@CrosbyMaxx) August 13, 2026
The drop barely registers as a snub. Crosby is still the second-ranked EDGE defender in the league behind only the Rams’ Myles Garrett, per Pro Football Network’s version of the Top 100. He’s also a five-time Pro Bowler with four seasons of double-digit sacks under his belt.
Better Numbers, Worse Team Record
The stats back up the frustration with the ranking dip. Crosby actually improved on his 2024 output last season, finishing with 10 sacks, a league-second 28 tackles for loss, and career-high pressure numbers, according to Raiders.com. He did it despite missing the final two games and while Las Vegas stumbled to a three-win season.
Here’s how his last two seasons compare, based on team-reported figures:
| Season | Games | Tackles | Sacks | Tackles for Loss | Forced Fumbles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 12 | 45 | 7.5 | N/A | N/A |
| 2025 | 15 | 73 | 10.0 | 28 | 2 |
Defensive line coach Travis Smith didn’t hold back when describing what Crosby brings to the building every day. “The people around him are so fortunate, including coaches, to watch the routine and the discipline he approaches every day with,” Smith said, per Raiders.com.
A Motivated Player After a Wild Offseason
Crosby doesn’t need much extra fuel this year. He was at the center of one of the stranger storylines of the offseason when the Raiders agreed to trade him to the Baltimore Ravens, only for Baltimore to back out over concerns tied to his surgically repaired knee, according to Bleacher Report. He stayed put in Las Vegas and has leaned into that chapter as motivation rather than a distraction.
He’s also had a physical moment with new starting quarterback Kirk Cousins. The two got into a scuffle during a training camp practice, an incident that briefly held Cousins out of a session before he returned to first-team reps, per Yardbarker. It’s the kind of camp friction that tends to happen when a roster is trying to raise its floor after a rough season.
Crosby also isn’t shy about talking up his teammates. He recently praised tight end Brock Bowers, who joined him on this year’s Top 100 list at No. 60, calling Bowers a “top-10 player in the league” who’s “going to be in that top 10 here soon,” according to Yardbarker.
Why the Defense Around Him Matters Now
Crosby has spent recent seasons as close to a one-man wrecking crew as the modern NFL allows, and that’s exactly the problem the Raiders tried to fix this offseason. A pass rusher who wins one-on-one every play still needs bodies around him to keep offenses from simply designing protection to neutralize a single name. Las Vegas addressed that by adding depth at linebacker this offseason, reinforcing the front seven that Crosby anchors, per ClutchPoints.
Pair that with a quarterback competition that’s given Cousins the early edge over rookie Fernando Mendoza — Cousins has taken every first-team rep in camp and, according to ESPN’s Ryan McFadden, “has looked better than Mendoza and (backup) Aidan O’Connell,” per Yardbarker — and the Raiders enter the season with more talent up and down the roster than they’ve had in years.
Up Next: Preseason Opener Against Arizona
The Raiders open their preseason slate Thursday night against the Arizona Cardinals at Allegiant Stadium, with kickoff set for 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET), according to Raiders.com. It’s new head coach Klint Kubiak’s first game on the sideline, and the Cardinals are expected to play their starters, per AZCardinals.com.
Whether or not Crosby sees extended snaps in a preseason opener, the message from his Top 100 reaction is clear enough. He’s not treating a top-25 ranking as a finish line.
