Keyron Crawford adds pass-rush upside to Las Vegas Raiders’ roster via 2026 NFL draft

AUBURN, ALABAMA - SEPTEMBER 21: Nose tackle Keyron Crawford #24 of the Auburn Tigers during their game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 21, 2024 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) | Getty Images While adding an edge defender wasn’t a pressing or immediate need for the Las Vegas Raiders, general manager John Spytek went with a “best player available” approach to the third round of the 2026 NFL draft , selecting former Auburn pass-rusher Keyron Crawford 67th overall . Crawford comes from a basketball background and didn’t start playing football until his senior year of high school.

The lack of experience on the gridiron shows up on tape as he’s still raw and developing. However, the Arkansas State transfer is also an impressive athlete with a lot of potential to become a quality edge rusher in the league and is coming off a strong campaign. According to Pro Football Focus , the Auburn product ranked seventh among SEC edges with 43 pressures and was fifth with an 18.

3 percent pass-rush win rate, which includes five sacks and an impressive 12 quarterback hits. Crawford is still learning how to use and be more consistent with his hand for that production to translate to the next level, but the tape highlights how his athletic ability makes him a high-upside prospect. Good example of how Keyron Crawford's athleticism can be an asset as a pass-rusher -Works vertical for 1st 2 steps on E/T stunt to get LT to widen -Uses quickness and COD to win across LT's face and beat LG -Finishes w/ the sack #RaiderNation pic.

twitter. com/2gJWZR0QGN — Matt Holder (@MHolder95) April 29, 2026 While line games weren’t a big part of Crawford’s game at Auburn, it is something that defensive coordinator Rob Leonard will likely look to take advantage of, given the third-round pick’s combination of quickness and change of direction skills. He’s executing an E/T stunt here, where he’s going to be the penetrator and attack the left guard.