What Ravens Received Instead of Maxx Crosby

The Baltimore Ravens were set to give the Las Vegas Raiders a first-round pick in 2026 and 2027 for star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby this offseason.

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Before the trade could be completed, the Ravens backed out of the trade, citing medical concerns about Crosby.

At the start of free agency, Baltimore signed defensive end Trey Hendrickson.

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While the Ravens gained an elite pass-rusher for 2026, the team lost a key piece for the offensive line when star center Tyler Linderbaum signed with the Raiders.

With the No. 14 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Baltimore selected offensive guard Olaivavega Ioane, considered by many around the league as the best offensive lineman in the draft. Had the trade for Crosby gone through, the Ravens would not have landed a key addition after losing Linderbaum.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested the Ravens could be judged for how things turned out versus what they would have gained with Crosby.

“So I guess now we'll look at the Ravens having gotten Trey Hendrickson and first-round pick Vega Ioane instead of Maxx Crosby,” Breer wrote. “So judge away on that one. Regardless, Baltimore did the Baltimore thing again, which is to take guys that happen to fall into their laps, which I think went for each of the Ravens' first four picks.”

Crosby is a complete three-down defensive end who excels at run defense in addition to being a solid pass-rusher. Hendrickson is good at getting to the passer, but could be better at run defense.

Being able to add Ioane might make backing out of the trade worth it. Baltimore was still able to address the defensive end option in the draft.

The Ravens were able to get great value in the second round for a defensive end with tremendous upside when they selected Zion Young out of Missouri.

Even better, Baltimore still has its first-round pick for 2027.

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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 4:01 PM.