Barring any wild turn of events, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Las Vegas Raiders when the NFL Draft rolls around on April 23. Entering Year 1 of the Klint Kubiak era, the Raiders have already made a number of roster moves to build their franchise around Mendoza.
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The Raiders made one of the biggest blockbuster trades the NFL has seen in recent seasons on Friday by sending superstar DE Maxx Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens for a pair of First Round picks. The trade gave Las Vegas the No. 14 overall pick in this year's draft as well as a first rounder in next year's draft. Along with adding a number of key playmakers via free agency, those draft picks gave Las Vegas a bright future ahead with Mendoza at the helm.
However, the Ravens shocked everyone by backing out of the Crosby trade on Tuesday night. The move drastically alters Las Vegas' plans for the 2026 season and beyond.
Ravens back out of blockbuster Maxx Crosby trade at last second
The Raiders made the following announcement on social media on Tuesday night, just one night before the trade was set to become official:
"The Baltimore Ravens have backed out of our trade agreement for Maxx Crosby. We will have no further comment at this time."
All NFL trades are contingent on players passing a physical examination, and numerous reports are circulating that Crosby did not pass his physical.
Maxx Crosby did not pass his physical today, per sources.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 11, 2026
The Ravens get their first round picks back.
Crosby suffered a torn meniscus back in Week 3 this past season, and he is still recovering from that injury. It has not yet been officially announced whether or not his failed physical is related to that specific injury.
Getting Crosby back certainly helps Las Vegas' defense, which has also been bolstered with the free agent signings of LB Quay Walker, LB Nakobe Dean, DE Kwity Paye, CB Eric Stokes, and DE Malcolm Koonce. They also traded for CB Taron Johnson.
However, it was clear that Las Vegas moved Crosby to Baltimore with the future in mind. Getting those First Round picks would've been significant in the early years of the Mendoza era, and now Las Vegas' NFL Draft plans are drastically different with the draft a month and a half away. Mendoza is still widely expected to be the No. 1 selection, but not having those First Round picks for 2026 and 2027 will lead to a major adjustment from the Raiders when it comes to their rebuild.