Former Auburn Defensive Standout Placed on Season-Ending IR Ahead of First NFL Season

After making a name for himself on the Plains, the Auburn rookie will have to wait at least a season before he sees the professional field.

Raiders defensive end Keyron Crawford (42), an Auburn alum, will miss the entirety of his rookie season with an ankle injury. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Former Auburn Tigers defensive standout and current Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Keyron Crawford will have to wait another year before making his NFL regular-season debut, as ESPN’s Ryan McFadden reported on Sunday that Crawford has been placed on the season-ending injured reserve with an ankle injury.

Crawford was pushed to the ground at an awkward angle while attempting to rush San Francisco 49ers quarterback Adrian Martinez on Thursday and was helped to the blue tent before eventually being carted to the locker room. 

Crawford, a rookie, was drafted with the 67th overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft after spending the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Arkansas State before transferring to Auburn for the final two seasons of his career. 

In his first season with the Tigers, in 2024, Crawford found his way to being a key piece on the defensive line, totaling 22 tackles and 16 solo tackles, even earning Pro Football Focus Team of the Week Honors for his performance in the Tigers’ win over Kentucky.

However, his senior year (his second season with the Tigers) is where things really came to a hilt for Crawford, who played and started all 12 games as a frontline man for the Tigers. In those 12 games, Crawford massively boosted his draft stock, tallying 36 total tackles, 28 of which were solo tackles, along with five sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

For his efforts in the Tigers’ 5-7 2025 season, Crawford was a First-Team All-SEC mention according to PFSA, as well as a Third-Team All-SEC selection in the coaches’ poll. As a result, Crawford was snapped up in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, with Tiger fans excited to see how his skills would translate to the NFL.

Crawford was one of two defensive Tigers to earn a draft pick in this past draft, joining Keldric Faulk, who was selected with the Tennessee Titans’ 30th overall pick, late in the first round. Faulk is still on the roster and is healthy, though he still has some ground to cover if he wants to be as dominant in the NFL as he was in college.

Crawford, on the other hand, will unfortunately be forced to wait for yet another season to pass before making his impact on the big stage, but he has yet to be released by the Raiders, so there is clearly some confidence in him in Las Vegas.

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