The Ravens have never before traded a 1st round pick and like the Bucs under Licht prioritized building through the draft. Now they traded not one, but two 1st round picks to get Crosby, the top edge rusher in free agency.
The Ravens were 8-9 in 2025 and for next season they were (before the trade)
11 to 1 to win the Super Bowl
+500 to win the conference
-125 to win the division
10.5 O/U on wins
So, does the Crosby trade substantially move the needle for them? If so, how much?
They gave up a #14 pick and whatever 2027 turns out to be.
This exact trade was too much for most Bucs fans posting here so now we get to see it play out, albeit with a team arguably closer to a SB than the Bucs (35 to 1 SB)
I think they are closer to contenders than we are. Their defense has more star power.
I think Raiders fleeced this trade tho but ultimately they see Lamar probably having a 2 year window so why not go for it?
If Madubuike is healthy yes it will pay off for them but if he is not then no because you need inside pressure to make edge pressure work.
I think it is a move the Ravens perhaps needed to make though I think the cost was far too high. Crosby is a great talent but I see Baltimore as needing some more to make a legit SB run than Crosby brings to them. I would not have given up two 1s for him......maybe a 1 and a 3 which would not have gotten the job done because the Raiders were seeking more.
ESPN gave an interesting stat about him: His pass rush win rate is slightly lower than one might expect for a star: 17.2% over the past four years at edge, which is in the 79th percentile. But at the same time, he has 222 pass-rush wins over that span -- the fourth most in the league -- because he never comes off the field.
So basically you are getting a premier pass rusher that never leaves the field and is actually really good against the run as well. I can see the appeal but I would not have paid the price and I don't think it takes the Ravens to the SB.
I think Baltimore overpaid, however, all it takes is a Superbowl win to make it worthwhile. The Bucs overpaid two first round picks for John Gruden. Except we won a Superbowl so it was well worth it. Baltimore thinks they have a shot and they're going all in, something the Bucs didn't think they should do at this time. I don't think Crosby has long term value, but if he helps them win a Superbowl it's all gravy after that.