An NFL defensive end has one of the toughest jobs in football. The pass rush often determines whether a quarterback has time to throw, is forced into a rushed decision, loses yardage or even coughs up the ball. To make a play, everything has to go right within seconds for a DE. The get-off, the hand placement, the angle to the quarterback and even a counter move if the initial rush fails.
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So, basically, there’s very little margin for error, which is why players of the position are always looking for ways to improve. And who better to explain that process than Maxx Crosby?
For a defensive end like Crosby, growth comes from constantly expanding the pass rush toolbox. Edge rushers need to have moves like the speed rush, bull rush, spin move, and rip move ready at all times. They also spend countless hours studying film of the offensive tackles they’ll face, working on hand usage, building strength and conditioning and understanding offensive schemes so they can anticipate what’s coming.
But Crosby says improvement also comes from studying other elite defenders playing the game today. He often watches players around the league, including pass rushers like Micah Parsons, and picks up small details from their game.
The goal for Crosby is not to copy everything, however. He can’t really rush as fast as Micah with his bigger frame. So, the Raiders star takes the little things that make sense for his own style and adds them to his arsenal.
“You gotta watch everybody, but also, I can’t sit here and watch, you know Micah, and say, ‘Alright I’m gonna rush like Micah,'” Crosby said on his podcast, The Rush, adding,
“Micah is six-foot-two and runs a 4.3. I’m not doing that. But he’s not doing some of the s**t I’m doing. So, It’s like, if you could take a little nugget from certain people and try to apply it, it might not work, it might work. But if it clicks, like boom, I can add this into my game and I could get me an extra couple sacks.”
Let’s not forget that Crosby was picked in the 4th round of the NFL Draft in 2019, and he broke onto the scene in his rookie year with a whopping 10 sacks. And while his production waned a little over the next two years, he didn’t miss any games. Then, in the following two years, he again recorded double-digit sacks.
So, it’s clear that the star pass rusher is consistently adapting and improving his play, even if that sometimes means taking inspiration from other players, and doing so while being part of one of the most struggling teams in the league, the LV Raiders.
It’s no wonder the Ravens almost gave up two first-round picks for Crosby. The Cowboys too reportedly offered a first-round and second-rounder for the DE. And at 28, he still has several prime years ahead.
