Former NFL Guard: 'Nobody Defeats Blocks Like Maxx'
Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby was a finalist for the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award for the first time in his career last season, but he did not earn a single first-place vote.
It's quite a head-scratcher when considering the numbers Crosby put up in his best campaign yet.
Brian Baldinger, an NFL Network analyst and former NFL offensive guard, praised the Raiders defensive end when he joined the last episode of the "The Rush With Maxx Crosby" podcast, not only noting Crosby's stats but another factor that separates him from other elite pass rushers.
"Maxx probably doesn't want to hear this, but what I'm trying to figure out -- I understand Maxx's practice habits, I understand the intensity and the focus," Baldinger said. "But nobody -- here's what bugs me about the Defensive Player of the Year: first of all, the stats aren't even close between Maxx and Myles [Garrett].
"And I love Myles, everybody loves Myles. He's a beast. But he's [Crosby] got 90 tackles, Myles has 45.
"He's [Crosby] leading the league in tackles for losses each year, right? He's got more than anybody. He's got more than anybody else in the league since he's been [here].
"I mean, I could go on and on and on. But what makes Maxx different, why he has 90 tackles -- like, the same amount as a middle linebacker, but off the edge when they're running away from him half the time -- what separates him is his ability to identify the block ... and then, defeating the block before it ever happens.
Former NFL offensive guard Brian Baldinger compared Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby to the other top NFL edge rushers when he joined Crosby's podcast.
© Jay Biggerstaff | 2023 Dec 25
"Doesn't matter if it's trap, if it's crack-back, it doesn't matter. Inside trap, long trap, you name it, power. His ability to defeat blocks before they happen is, it's everything.
"It's first of all, having the tool kit to defeat the blocks, because it's not always the same. You're not always going to stack and shed, sometimes you're going to swim, sometimes you're just going to just dip under, sometimes you're going to rip it. The ability to see it in real time and defeat it, there's nobody in the league -- Bosa, T.J. [Watt], I got respect for all of them -- but nobody defeats blocks like Maxx."
The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.
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