Eastern Michigan Athletics
Maxx Crosby Selected by the Raiders in the 2019 NFL Draft
4/27/2019 12:26:00 PM | Football
The former EMU defensive lineman was taken in the fourth round, 106th overall
Complete Bio.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (EMUEagles.com) - Eastern Michigan University defensive lineman Maxx Crosby (Colleyville, Texas- Colleyville Heritage) was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft Saturday, April 27, in downtown Nashville. The Colleyville, Texas native is the sixth-highest draft pick in Eastern Michigan history and earliest selection since Jason Jones went in the second round in 2008.
Crosby, the 106th overall pick of the draft, is the third Eagle to be drafted in the last four years joining Darius Jackson (2016) and Pat O'Connor (2017). Overall, he is the 29th EMU player to be picked in the draft since 1955. Furthermore, Crosby is the fifth Eastern Michigan defensive lineman to be drafted, joining Ron Fernandez (1973), Dave Boone (1974), Jason Jones (2008), and O'Connor.
"If you want to think about a comparable, think about Jared Allen when he was in the NFL," ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick said after the pick. "That is what I started thinking about when I watch this guy. He plays the way Mike Mayock (Raiders GM) describes the potential players for the Raiders, meaning just fury -- always wanting to get to the football. He has some technique issues and some strength issues as far as holding up against the run, but when they put this guy on the move, he is always around the quarterback, always hustling. He never quits and never gives up."
Opposing quarterbacks have gotten to know Crosby more than they would like over the past three seasons for Eastern, as the Texas native wreaked havoc in opponents' backfields. Last season, Crosby ranked seventh nationally in tackles-for-loss per game (1.6) and 10th in forced fumbles per game (0.33). He was also fifth in the Mid-American Conference in sacks per game (0.63), a mark that ranks 42nd in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks.
On the preseason watch lists for the Ted Hendricks Award, the Nagurski Trophy, and the Bednarik Award, Crosby recorded a sack and three tackles-for-loss against Akron, Nov. 10, to move into a tie for second all-time in EMU career sacks. His 20.0 career sacks are tied with O'Connor, who had 20.0 from 2011-16. Meanwhile, Crosby had 41.0 career tackles-for-loss, the second-most in EMU history, as well as the most since Jones' 50 from 2004-07.
In 2017, Crosby posted 11 sacks on the year to tie the EMU single-season record set by Avery Brown in 1996. For the season, Crosby ranked fourth in the conference and sixth in the country in sacks, while coming in 15th nationally in tackles-for-loss. Overall, he finished with 57 tackles (31 solo, 26 assist) to go along with 16.5 tackles for a loss of 105 yards. Additionally, Crosby became the first EMU player in the modern statistical era (since 1998) to rack up three sacks in back-to-back games, as he in the process tied the EMU single-game record with a trio of sacks at Central Michigan, Nov. 8, and Miami University, Nov. 15.
The 6-foot-5 Crosby, who declared for the draft after his redshirt junior campaign, is one-of-three EMU defensive players to ever earn back-to-back First Team All-MAC selections, doing so in 2017 and 2018.
He captured the attention of several NFL scouts at the combine in Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 26-March 4, posting personal-bests in the three-cone drill, broad jump, vertical jump and 60-yard shuttle. His 6.89-second cone drill was the second-best mark among the 15 edge-rushers who competed in it. He also was second in the 20-yard shuttle, with his 4.13-second time finishing only behind the University of Michigan's Chase Winovich, who finished in 4.11 seconds.
EMU's National Football League Draft Choices
Year Player Draft No. Team Round
1955 Nick Manych 243 Baltimore Colts 21st Round
1967 Robert Rodwell 328 Washington Redskins 13th Round
1970 Bob Lints 353 Green Bay Packers 3rd Round
1971 Al Clark 72 Detroit Lions 3rd Round
1972 Dave Pureifory 142 Green Bay Packers 6th Round
1972 Will Foster 170 Philadelphia Eagles 7th Round
1972 Larry Ratcliff 196 Philadelphia Eagles 8th Round
1972 Sam Elmore 325 New England Patriots 13th Round
1973 Bill Dulac 167 Los Angeles Rams 7th Round
1973 Ron Fernandes 260 Miami Dolphins 10th Round
1974 Jim Pietrzak 132 New York Giants 6th Round
1974 Dave Boone 285 Minnesota Vikings 11th Round
1974 Frank Kolch 333 Pittsburgh Steelers 13th Round
1975 Mike Strickland 363 Minnesota Vikings 14th Round
1976 Clarence Chapman 204 Oakland Raiders 7th Round
1977 Mark Carter 264 Miami Dolphins 10th Round
1977 Jim Stansik 319 San Diego Chargers 12th Round
1978 Ron Johnson 22 Pittsburgh Steelers 1st Round
1981 Ken Miller 191 Dallas Cowboys 7th Round
1988 Gary Patton 172 New York Jets 7th Round
1998 Charlie Batch 60 Detroit Lions 2nd Round
1999 L.J. Shelton 21 Arizona Cardinals 1st Round
2003 Kevin Walter 255 New York Giants 7th Round
2004 Chris R. Roberson 237 Jacksonville Jaguars 7th Round
2008 Jason Jones 54 Tennessee Titans 2nd Round
2009 T.J. Lang 109 Green Bay Packers 4th Round
2016 Darius Jackson 216 Dallas Cowboys 6th Round
2017 Pat O'Connor 250 Detroit Lions 7th Round
2019 Maxx Crosby 106 Oakland Raiders 4th Round
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (EMUEagles.com) - Eastern Michigan University defensive lineman Maxx Crosby (Colleyville, Texas- Colleyville Heritage) was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft Saturday, April 27, in downtown Nashville. The Colleyville, Texas native is the sixth-highest draft pick in Eastern Michigan history and earliest selection since Jason Jones went in the second round in 2008.
Crosby, the 106th overall pick of the draft, is the third Eagle to be drafted in the last four years joining Darius Jackson (2016) and Pat O'Connor (2017). Overall, he is the 29th EMU player to be picked in the draft since 1955. Furthermore, Crosby is the fifth Eastern Michigan defensive lineman to be drafted, joining Ron Fernandez (1973), Dave Boone (1974), Jason Jones (2008), and O'Connor.
"If you want to think about a comparable, think about Jared Allen when he was in the NFL," ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick said after the pick. "That is what I started thinking about when I watch this guy. He plays the way Mike Mayock (Raiders GM) describes the potential players for the Raiders, meaning just fury -- always wanting to get to the football. He has some technique issues and some strength issues as far as holding up against the run, but when they put this guy on the move, he is always around the quarterback, always hustling. He never quits and never gives up."
Opposing quarterbacks have gotten to know Crosby more than they would like over the past three seasons for Eastern, as the Texas native wreaked havoc in opponents' backfields. Last season, Crosby ranked seventh nationally in tackles-for-loss per game (1.6) and 10th in forced fumbles per game (0.33). He was also fifth in the Mid-American Conference in sacks per game (0.63), a mark that ranks 42nd in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks.
On the preseason watch lists for the Ted Hendricks Award, the Nagurski Trophy, and the Bednarik Award, Crosby recorded a sack and three tackles-for-loss against Akron, Nov. 10, to move into a tie for second all-time in EMU career sacks. His 20.0 career sacks are tied with O'Connor, who had 20.0 from 2011-16. Meanwhile, Crosby had 41.0 career tackles-for-loss, the second-most in EMU history, as well as the most since Jones' 50 from 2004-07.
In 2017, Crosby posted 11 sacks on the year to tie the EMU single-season record set by Avery Brown in 1996. For the season, Crosby ranked fourth in the conference and sixth in the country in sacks, while coming in 15th nationally in tackles-for-loss. Overall, he finished with 57 tackles (31 solo, 26 assist) to go along with 16.5 tackles for a loss of 105 yards. Additionally, Crosby became the first EMU player in the modern statistical era (since 1998) to rack up three sacks in back-to-back games, as he in the process tied the EMU single-game record with a trio of sacks at Central Michigan, Nov. 8, and Miami University, Nov. 15.
The 6-foot-5 Crosby, who declared for the draft after his redshirt junior campaign, is one-of-three EMU defensive players to ever earn back-to-back First Team All-MAC selections, doing so in 2017 and 2018.
He captured the attention of several NFL scouts at the combine in Indianapolis, Ind., Feb. 26-March 4, posting personal-bests in the three-cone drill, broad jump, vertical jump and 60-yard shuttle. His 6.89-second cone drill was the second-best mark among the 15 edge-rushers who competed in it. He also was second in the 20-yard shuttle, with his 4.13-second time finishing only behind the University of Michigan's Chase Winovich, who finished in 4.11 seconds.
EMU's National Football League Draft Choices
Year Player Draft No. Team Round
1955 Nick Manych 243 Baltimore Colts 21st Round
1967 Robert Rodwell 328 Washington Redskins 13th Round
1970 Bob Lints 353 Green Bay Packers 3rd Round
1971 Al Clark 72 Detroit Lions 3rd Round
1972 Dave Pureifory 142 Green Bay Packers 6th Round
1972 Will Foster 170 Philadelphia Eagles 7th Round
1972 Larry Ratcliff 196 Philadelphia Eagles 8th Round
1972 Sam Elmore 325 New England Patriots 13th Round
1973 Bill Dulac 167 Los Angeles Rams 7th Round
1973 Ron Fernandes 260 Miami Dolphins 10th Round
1974 Jim Pietrzak 132 New York Giants 6th Round
1974 Dave Boone 285 Minnesota Vikings 11th Round
1974 Frank Kolch 333 Pittsburgh Steelers 13th Round
1975 Mike Strickland 363 Minnesota Vikings 14th Round
1976 Clarence Chapman 204 Oakland Raiders 7th Round
1977 Mark Carter 264 Miami Dolphins 10th Round
1977 Jim Stansik 319 San Diego Chargers 12th Round
1978 Ron Johnson 22 Pittsburgh Steelers 1st Round
1981 Ken Miller 191 Dallas Cowboys 7th Round
1988 Gary Patton 172 New York Jets 7th Round
1998 Charlie Batch 60 Detroit Lions 2nd Round
1999 L.J. Shelton 21 Arizona Cardinals 1st Round
2003 Kevin Walter 255 New York Giants 7th Round
2004 Chris R. Roberson 237 Jacksonville Jaguars 7th Round
2008 Jason Jones 54 Tennessee Titans 2nd Round
2009 T.J. Lang 109 Green Bay Packers 4th Round
2016 Darius Jackson 216 Dallas Cowboys 6th Round
2017 Pat O'Connor 250 Detroit Lions 7th Round
2019 Maxx Crosby 106 Oakland Raiders 4th Round
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