Maxx Crosby for Defensive Player of the Year? Why Raiders DE is a serious contender

Throughout the first six weeks, the Las Vegas Raiders have been one of the league’s most pleasant surprises, with Maxx Crosby helping lead the way.

Las Vegas has surged its way into a playoff trajectory with a chance to vie for its first postseason berth since 2016. They've had stellar play from quarterback Derek Carr, but it’s been more than that as the team has had strong performances elsewhere.

Is Maxx Crosby a serious Defensive Player of the Year contender?

Crosby has looked every bit the part of a Defensive Player of the Year candidate. He’s coming off a stellar outing in the Week 6 win over the Denver Broncos, as he consistently disrupted the passing game with 3.0 sacks, five quarterback hits, one pass deflection and six total tackles.

Crosby was everywhere against the Broncos, and that isn’t a one-game aberration as he’s excelled throughout the year. He’s garnered at least five quarterback hits three times while racking a tackle for a loss on three occasions.

His magnificent outing against Denver has thrust him into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation, as he sits tied for 10th in sacks.

He faces an uphill battle to catch Cleveland Browns’ star defensive end Myles Garrett, who leads the league with 8.0 sacks.

But if he continues to rack up strong performances, the gap between him and Garrett will quickly close. According to Pro Football Focus, he ranks first with a 92.2 pass rusher rating and 43 quarterback pressures.

Crosby receives high praise from Raiders' interim head coach

Crosby has blown past his expectations since entering the league as a fourth-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. His first two seasons have featured him earning 17 sacks while he’s on pace to nearly surpass that total with 13.5 sacks.

It’s a lofty number, but Crosby has given the Raiders every reason to believe he can continue to perform at an elite level.

Here is what Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia had to say about Maxx Crosby:

"We've all got a chance to watch him practice and mature over the years that he's been here," said interim head coach Rich Bisaccia via Raiders.com. "We loved him coming out of the draft and he's had a big influence on me as well. A lot of things that he's gone through and conversations that we've had; they've helped me grow as a man, they've helped me grow as a father and husband, and I know he's doing that with a lot of other guys."

Beyond that, Crosby has done more than enough to show that he’s arrived as a legitimate star pass rusher. His play has anchored the Raiders’ defensive line and given him the potential inside track toward making a serious push to grab the Defensive Player of the Year award.