The Las Vegas Raiders have high hopes for Keyron Crawford as a prospect, and he knows who he wants as his mentor.
The Las Vegas Raiders have been adding edge rushers at a record clip his offseason, and the latest is Keyron Crawford of Auburn. The Raiders selected Crawford in the third round as a developmental project, and Crawford knows who he wants as his NFL mentor.
That would be Maxx Crosby, who makes complete sense as a mentor for any young lineman. Crosby’s edge and wild tendencies can be magnetic, although it’s fair to ask if any coach would want Crosby mentoring his charges given Crosby’s tendency to wreak havoc by freelancing.
That doesn’t matter for now, though, as Crawford noted in a piece written by Sam Warren of The Athletic. Crawford said that Crosby is “definitely one of my favorite players as far as just how he attacks the field, how he carries himself.” The Auburn product also mentioned that he was eager to “pick the ins and outs” of Crosby’s game upon arrival.
It’s pretty bold for any rookie to call a veteran like Mad Maxx right out of the gate, but Crawford said he’s already done that.
“I talked to Maxx probably like twice already,” Crawford said. “He called me draft night, and then I called him the next day just to get a couple pointers.”
Rookies like Crawford don’t know what they don’t know, and Crosby responded accordingly. According to Crawford, most of the lessons he’s learned so far have been “effort-driven,” based on Warren’s reported. The biggest instruction was to put the work in, be ready for his moment, and “don’t be scared of anything,” Crosby added.
The technical teachings will come on the field and in meetings, but Crawford said he didn’t feel intimidated reaching out, and he felt a sense of belonging that Crosby confirmed.
“He was like, ‘Bro, just be yourself. Be respectful. You don’t have to say much. All you have to do is work. That’s all we care about, and you’re going to be able to fit in perfectly.’”
Crawford just stated playing in 2021, according to Warren, so he’s still learning the game. The Raiders believe in his potential to the point where they traded defensive end Tyree Wilson and waived Charles Snowden, so Crawford looks at this as an opportunity to create a role behind Crosby and newly-signed edge rusher Kwity Pace.
“Learning from the guys ahead of me, that’s the main point,” Crawford said. “Being able to bring all those things in one and just being able to contribute on the field is the best part.”
As positive as all of this looks from a distance, Crosby has a well-earned reputation as a player who can be tough to control, which is why the Raiders tried to trade him to the Baltimore Ravens in the first place.