Raiders senior defensive assistant Rob Ryan got his first NFL coaching job 30 years ago, as an assistant to his father, Buddy Ryan, with the 1994 Cardinals. And Ryan says since he first worked in the NFL, he hasn’t there has been a defensive player as good as Maxx Crosby.
“When you talk about Maxx Crosby, you’re talking about the best defenseman in the league. Probably in history that I’ve ever seen. Now, I’ve only been at this for 30 years, but I mean, he’s that good,” Ryan said.
Ryan says Crosby has a presence that also makes his teammates better.
“Maxx makes everyone tougher. Maxx makes everyone better. Maxx makes everyone get tattoos. He’s just badass,” Ryan said.
It’s a bit of a stretch to say that Crosby is better than Aaron Donald, or JJ Watt, or Ray Lewis, or Ed Reed, but that’s what Ryan claims while talking about the Raiders’ best defensive player as the best player anywhere.