The Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders came together to pull off a blockbuster trade that could determine the next Super Bowl winner. The Ravens fortified their defense by adding superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby in exchange for the Ravens' 2026 first-round pick (No. 14 overall) and their 2027 first-round pick.
The deal is a win-win for both sides. Baltimore can stay in win-now mode with Lamar Jackson still in his prime and in line for a contract extension, while Las Vegas can reload by getting another high draft selection this year and another first-round pick to leverage for their future in 2027.
Ravens address a key need
The Ravens' 2025 season was a disaster, resulting in the departure of longtime head coach John Harbaugh after a heartbreaking loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on a last-second missed field goal left them out of the playoffs. After another MVP-caliber campaign in 2024, Jackson suffered through an injury-plagued 2025 and has faced some questions about his future, though a new contract is expected. While Baltimore almost escaped a 1-5 hole to still make the playoffs, it wasn't meant to be, thanks in part to a porous defense.
Now Jesse Minter is the head coach, and the defensive wunderkind is surely thrilled to have Crosby leading a unit in need of a serious bounce-back campaign in 2026. Even with solid defensive players such as Roquan Smith and Kyle Hamilton returning to the fold, the Ravens just couldn't generate pressure on the quarterback this past season. They had one of the worst passing defenses in the league by allowing nearly 248 passing yards per game and were also near the bottom of the league in sacks, netting only 30 last year and ranking 31st in sack rate. The Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks, by comparison, generated 47 sacks and gave up 193.9 yards per game.
Even with a standout player like Jackson, the Ravens' defense sets the team's identity. Their two Super Bowl-winning teams from this century hung their hats on defense with players such as Ed Reed, Ray Lewis, and Terrell Suggs. To truly contend, Baltimore needs the defense to get back to playing at an elite level.
The Ravens are attempting to do that by trading for Crosby, making franchise history by trading a first-round pick to acquire a veteran player for the first time. Ravens fans certainly remember Crosby’s performance against Baltimore to start the 2024 season. In that game, he had two big sacks on Jackson and was able to manipulate Ravens' offensive line, even when he wasn't securing a tackle on the running back or finding a way to capture Jackson.
The five-time Pro Bowler finished the 2025 season with 73 total tackles (45 solo), 10 sacks, two forced fumbles, one interception, and six pass deflections. While there are some injury question marks for the 28-year-old that have some questioning the high price tag Baltimore paid, this is an all-in move that makes sense as the franchise tries to finally break through in the Jackson era. It's a bold move that comes with some risk, but we applaud the Ravens for their aggressiveness in a wide-open AFC.
Ravens Trade Grade: A+
Raiders supercharge their rebuild
Meanwhile, the Raiders are still trying to figure out what's next after trading their franchise player. They found themselves once again at the bottom of the AFC West at 3-14, making a Crosby trade the obvious move after some friction at the end of the season. They simply weren't ready to truly compete amongst the best teams in the conference, even with promising young stars such as Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, so going into a full rebuild by trading Crosby was the obvious play. It became even more of a no-brainer once those two first-round picks were on the table.
Las Vegas has the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and is very likely to take Fernando Mendoza to get itself a promising QB prospect to build around after letting go of Geno Smith. Getting another pick at No. 14 will help the Raiders fast-track their rebuild and construct a young team that can grow together in the coming years.
The Raiders are a long ways away from competing for the Super Bowl, and the Denver Broncos' ascension to the top of the AFC West makes the conference all the more dangerous. Still, retooling the team around young players under first-year head coach Klint Kubiak could eventually help the Raiders compete with their division rivals and ultimately find themselves in the playoff picture. There is truly nowhere else to go but up for Las Vegas.
