Maxx Crosby Ninth in DPOY Odds

If there's one thing the Las Vegas Raiders will be able to rely on defense this season, it's defensive end Maxx Crosby being a terror off the edge.

His career year in 2021 showed that Crosby can be someone to build a defense around, and has resulted in him getting more respect across the NFL.

That's why it shouldn't come as a surprise to see Crosby rank among the betting favorites for NFL Defensive Player of the Year for this upcoming season.

With the odds coming from BetOnline, Crosby currently is tied for ninth with Von Miller at 25-1 for the award.

When looking at who's ahead of him on the list, there are certainly several names that are well deserving of their low odds.

Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, and Aaron Donald are all annual contenders for DPOY and are considered by many to be the best sack artists in the NFL.

They're ranked one, two, and three in odds for the award, but after that, the argument can be made that Crosby could have even higher odds.

The first two players ahead of him, Chase Young and Khalil Mack are both coming off injury-plagued seasons that saw them post career-low numbers.

That's especially true in the case of Young, who only had 1.5 sacks in nine games, but has slightly better odds at 22-1.

Based on last season, Crosby would seem to be more deserving of higher odds.

It speaks to how much Crosby still might need to prove among the NFL community outside of the Raiders how valuable he is.

Crosby could have his best chance this season, now having a running mate on the defensive line the caliber of Chandler Jones.

Himself having 40-1 odds to win DPOY, Jones' All-Pro caliber presence will force teams to have to play Crosby honest more often.

It might be the key to him having the first double-digit sack season since his rookie year.

Voters won't be able to ignore big sack totals, and the Raiders defense will likely be at its best this season if Crosby puts up big numbers.

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