There was bound to be a resolution on the Maxx Crosby front ahead of the start of free agency, and it happened on Friday night. The Las Vegas Raiders got an offer they couldn’t refuse: two first round picks from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Crosby.
The Ravens must feel like they’re very close to contending for a Super Bowl, even though they’re going into their first season with new head coach Jesse Minter. For a franchise that values draft picks, letting go of two of this magnitude for Crosby signals they want to win now. Did they give up too much, though?
That’s yet to be determined. If Crosby plays up to his talent level, the first round picks will be quickly forgotten. But history isn’t necessarily on Baltimore’s side, as many of the previous trades with a similar draft pick haul haven’t gone in favor of the team receiving the player.
Matthew Stafford has arguably been the best multiple first round pick trade in NFL history
Out of the players mentioned, it’s hard to find true successes overall aside from Matthew Stafford, Jalen Ramsey and Khalil Mack. Ironically, Stafford and Ramsey were both traded to the Los Angeles Rams, who developed a reputation for not caring about first round draft picks.
- Matthew Stafford: Traded for Jared Goff, two first round picks and one third round pick; won Super Bowl LVI with Rams the following season and named NFL MVP in 2025.
- Jalen Ramsey: Traded for two first round picks and one fourth round pick; was named First-Team All-Pro twice in three seasons with Rams and won Super Bowl LVI.
- Khalil Mack: Made three Pro Bowls and named All-Pro twice in four seasons with Chicago Bears.
Ricky Williams and Eric Dickerson did find success on the ground with the Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts, respectively, but they each had their own issues with their new teams. They also couldn’t bring any postseason success to their new franchises.
The jury is still out on Micah Parsons. He was living up to the trade in his first season with the Green Bay Packers, but a torn ACL cut his year short. Something similar happened with Sauce Gardner, who the Indianapolis Colts acquired at the trade deadline, only to see him struggle with a calf injury late in the season.
Not all of the other trades turned out terribly, but some of them were disasters. Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos and Jamal Adams to the Seattle Seahawks particularly stand out. Jeff George to the Atlanta Falcons didn’t work out as planned, and neither did the Herschel Walker trade for the Minnesota Vikings.
What might be most concerning for the Ravens is that Crosby would be one of the oldest players on that list. He’ll be 29 years old before the next season begins. His playing style should age well, but Baltimore will have to round out their roster quickly in order to maximize their return on investment.