DE Maxx Crosby: Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence ‘definitely on his way up’

The Jacksonville Jaguars turned heads in 2022 and Trevor Lawrence’s improved play was one big reason why. Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby got to meet the second-year quarterback back in Week 9 and was left with a positive impression.

Crosby made an appearance on The 33rd Team and broke down all the quarterbacks that made the playoffs and things he’s seen when he’s faced them. The two-time Pro Bowl nod had nothing but praise for Lawrence and highlighted his mobility, which he thinks is overlooked.

“Trevor Lawrence, he’s a big dude”, Crosby said. “He’s a big dude, he’s 6’6″, think he’s 25 to 30. He’s more mobile than people think, that’s the thing that separates him from most quarterbacks. He’s not only big as hell but he’s super athletic. They have a great offense, they like to protect the quarterback at all costs. They do a lot of chips, a lot of slides, things of that nature”.

Later, Crosby compliments former teammate Zay Jones, tight end Evan Engram and wide receiver Christian Kirk. He then credits Lawrence for helping the Jaguars come back from behind to beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Wild Card Weekend.

“So Trevor Lawrence, I have a ton of respect for him to do this. He’s got a crazy arm, he’s athletic. He makes his decisions quick and he makes big plays in the biggest games. You’ve seen that last week, they were 27-0, he threw four picks in the first half. He flushed it, came back, scored 31 unanswered points, and won the game, so I got a massive amount of respect for him to do it, he’s definitely on his way up and I think he’s only going to get better”, Crosby said.

Maxx Crosby knows first hand how talented Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is

The Raiders were 6-11 in 2022 and lost to the Jags in Week 9. Jacksonville was trailing 17-0 in the second quarter but the offense woke up and scored 27 points. The Jags proceeded to win 27-24 and marked the first of three times in the 2022 season (including playoffs) that they managed to get on top after trailing by 17 points or more.

In that game, Lawrence went 25-of-31 for 235 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. He also added 53 rushing yards in six runs. On the other hand, Crosby registered five total tackles, one quarterback hit, and one fumble recovery.

If there’s someone who’s qualified to talk NFL quarterbacks, it’s Crosby. A fourth-round pick in the 2019 Draft, he became a mainstay of the Las Vegas defense from Day 1. In spite of their disappointing 2022 season, the four-year veteran was among the top edge rushers in the league, logging 12.5 sacks, four passes defensed, 89 total tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, and three forced fumbles.

In fact, the case could be made that Crosby was snubbed from this year’s All-Pro team and should have made it over Philadelphia Eagles outside linebacker Hasaan Reddick.

Lawrence’s teammates and coaches have witnessed firsthand how much he’s grown since the end of the 2021 season but opposing players have also taken notice took. The best part is that as Crosby suggested is that Lawrence hasn’t reached his ceiling yet, so he might be even better in 2023.