The Baltimore Ravens sent shockwaves across the NFL when they acquired Maxx Crosby in exchange for two first-round picks. In the aftermath of the blockbuster trade, the news broke that the Jacksonville Jaguars also tried to land the five-time Pro Bowl nod. Looking back, though, it's easy to see why their bid came up short.
The Jags gave up their 2026 first-round pick as part of the package to trade up for two-way star Travis Hunter last year. Without it, they were going to have trouble competing with Baltimore or any other potential suitors.
To make matters worse, Jacksonville must now worry about facing Crosby in 2026.
The Jaguars will face Maxx Crosby when they play the Ravens next season
The Jaguars posted their list of opponents for the 2026 season in January. The Ravens are among the teams they'll face. When exactly they'll face off against them remains to be seen, but it's now a certainty that they'll have to game-plan to neutralize Maxx Crosby.
Since the Raiders drafted "The Condor" in the fourth round of the 2019, he's become one of the premier pass rushers in the NFL, registering 69.5 sacks. The fact that he managed to rack up 10 quarterback takedowns in 2025 despite the fact that he was playing through injuries makes him look even more dominant. But wait! There's more.
As Warren Sharp of Sharp Analysis noted on Twitter, of the 70 players with 10 or more sacks the last two years, Crosby only played with a lead on 22 percent of his snaps. Meanwhile, Baltimore has played with a lead on 43 percent of its snaps in the same snap.
In case you were wondering, this will benefit Crosby because teams trailing tend to pass more. This will, in turn, present more pass-rush opportunities for him.
The Maxx Crosby trade could keep the Jaguars awake next season
Once the Jaguars begin preparations for the regular season, containing Maxx Crosby will be among the coaching staff's top priorities. Last season, Jacksonville lost to both the Los Angeles Rams and the Seattle Seahawks because it couldn't contain the pass rush against either team.
On the other hand, Walker Little was the starting left tackle at the time, and precisely because of his struggles, he was benched in favor of Cole Van Lanen. There's a chance that the Jags would be better suited to protect Trevor Lawrence's blind side with Van Lanen in the mix.
It's also worth noting that when Jacksonville played the Raiders in Week 9, they did a solid job of stymying Crosby, limiting him to just one sack and one quarterback hit. Sure, the Ravens defense should put him in a better position to succeed, but the fact that the Jags have had success containing the veteran pass rusher shouldn't be overlooked.
The truth is that the Jaguars were already a good team before making a push for Maxx Crosby. Trading him would've turned them into a Super Bowl contender, but even without him, they should have a favorable chance of keeping up in the AFC arms race.