Maxx Crosby trade grades: Raiders ace test for dealing superstar edge defender, but Ravens not far behind

Crosby finally lands on a contender, and Las Vegas gets a huge payment

The first true blockbuster trade of the 2026 NFL offseason has happened before the league calendar even officially flipped. Edge defender Maxx Crosby is heading to the Ravens, with 2026 and 2027 first-round picks headed back to the Raiders, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones confirms. The trade will become official March 11, when the new league year begins.

Crosby, 28, had been frustrated by the way the Raiders handled his knee injury, eventually leading to him being excused from the team facility with two games to go in a lost season for Las Vegas. Crosby, who had wanted to finish out the season, was said to be evaluating his future.

If his trade market was simmering, then it heated up quickly in the days leading up to the deal. Several teams had interest in the five-time Pro Bowler -- ESPN reported that the Cowboys offered first- and second-round picks -- but Baltimore ultimately won out. The Raiders, Jones reported, were looking for a package similar to the one the Cowboys received last offseason for Micah Parsons; Dallas netted two first-round picks and defensive lineman Kenny Clark.

Though the Raiders didn't get a player back, they did get the two firsts, including the No. 14 overall pick in the 2026 draft. Here's how both teams fared in a Friday-night stunner.

The Ravens have long been a draft-and-develop franchise. They are savvy with their moves all year long in order to accrue extra draft capital via the compensatory system. For the most part, they have drafted very well, whether it was moving up to draft Lamar Jackson with the final pick of the 2018 first round or finding solid contributors in the middle and late rounds. For as steady as they've been in recent history, it's mostly been thanks to this measured approach.