Maxx Crosby ranks Mahomes, Jackson, Allen and Mayfield among the hardest quarterbacks to sack

Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby has a specific question for fans and defenders alike: who is toughest to sack? In a interview, Crosby was asked which quarterback in the league he considers hardest to get to the ground, and he answered with a four-name list that features both mobile playmakers and high-volume pocket operators.

Crosby’s picks began with Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, a quarterback known for turning broken plays into deep-ball opportunities and for extending time in the pocket. The second name was Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, a passer whose rushing threat can change coverage calls and force pass-rushers to account for more than just the throw. Crosby then included Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, whose combination of arm strength, improvisation and willingness to run when lanes close has made him difficult for defenses to finish on third downs and in red-zone situations. The list concluded with Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the quarterback Crosby viewed as another particularly challenging target to sack.

What Crosby’s comments underline is less a debate about who is “best” at quarterback and more a defensive evaluation of what it takes to consistently win the final step. Sacks require more than beating a blocker. They depend on timing, route discipline in pass protection assignments, and a defense’s ability to keep a quarterback inside a collapsing pocket long enough for a rusher to secure the takedown.

The four names Crosby selected also map onto a broader reality of the NFL’s quarterback playbook. Mahomes and Allen typically generate stress through shot-making and movement within designed structure, while Jackson adds a second layer by turning defensive pursuit into a liability. Mayfield, meanwhile, represents a different kind of challenge in the way he can process quickly and relocate his launch point when pressure arrives. Crosby’s list suggests he values quarterbacks who disrupt the pass-rush plan at multiple stages, from the early snap to the late finish.

Crosby is one of the Raiders’ most recognizable defensive pieces, and when he speaks about quarterback pressure, it carries a particular weight because it is framed from a pass-rusher’s perspective. The NFL calendar is in the offseason stretch, but pass-rush matchups are always in focus, especially for teams that are building their identity around front-seven pressure. Even without a game-week context, naming the quarterbacks he finds hardest to sack points to the kinds of challenges he expects to prepare for repeatedly in regular-season film study.

It is also important to note what the list does not include. Crosby did not attach statistical thresholds, ranking logic, or specific examples of sacks or failures against each quarterback in the provided report. The discussion, as reported, is a personal assessment from a single defender rather than a league-wide metric. Still, lists like this can be useful as a window into how elite rushers think about the matchup problems that matter: pocket integrity, quarterback decisions under pressure, and the ability of a quarterback to reset when the first rush attempt fails.

For the Raiders, the practical takeaway is straightforward. When they face teams with quarterbacks who can extend plays or manipulate pressure, their pass rush execution will be measured not just by initial contact but by whether they can complete the play. Fans should watch in training camp and the early regular-season stretch to see how pass-rush technique, stunt timing and coverage structure are tuned against quarterbacks who keep defenses from reaching the finish line.