Defense wins championships.
That’s why NFL teams are becoming more willing to part with valuable draft picks for elite defenders.
Trading two first-rounders for a player has been rare with fewer than 20 such deals over the past 40 years. However, three of those have occurred in the past 6½ months and each was for a superstar defensive player.
Five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby became the latest premier talent traded for two No. 1s when the Baltimore Ravens acquired the 28-year-old star from the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday night, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby rushes during the first half of a game against the Houston Texans on Dec. 21 in Houston.
Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade can’t be announced until the league’s new year starts next week.
The last two Super Bowls were decided by superior defenses. Seattle’s “Dark Side” defense sacked Drake Maye six times in a 29-13 victory over New England last month.
Last year, the Eagles sacked Patrick Mahomes six times in Philadelphia’s 40-22 victory over the Chiefs.
Adding Crosby is a significant boost for the Ravens, who’ve fallen short in the playoffs several times despite successful regular seasons led by two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
Crosby upgrades a defense that had just 30 sacks in 2025, tied for 28th in the NFL. He could thrive under new coach Jesse Minter, a former defensive coordinator.
Here’s a look at some other trades involving two first-round picks over the past five years:
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., left, is unable to catch a pass as Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner defends during the first half of a Dec. 28 game in Indianapolis.
Sauce Gardner
The Colts sent two first-rounders and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell to the Jets for the two-time All-Pro cornerback last November. Indianapolis was 7-2 at the time but injuries to quarterback Daniel Jones and Gardner helped derail their season.
Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons pressures Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix during a Dec. 14 game in Denver.
Micah Parsons
The Packers traded two first-rounders and three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark to Dallas for the three-time All-Pro edge rusher a week before the start of last season.
Parsons had 12½ sacks in 14 games, helping Green Bay start 9-3-1. They didn’t win a game without him after he tore an ACL.
Russell Wilson
The Denver Broncos made a blockbuster deal to acquire the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback in March 2022, sending two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a fifth-round pick, QB Drew Lock, tight end Noah Fant, and defensive lineman Shelby Harris to Seattle. Wilson went 11-19 in only two seasons in Denver before he was released.
Deshaun Watson
In March 2022, the Cleveland Browns made what turned out to be one of the worst trades in NFL history when they acquired Watson and a 2024 sixth-round pick from the Houston Texans in exchange for three first-round picks, a third-round pick and two fourths.
The Browns then signed Watson to a $230 million contract fully guaranteed. He’s played just 19 games in four years, going 9-10.
Matthew Stafford
The Los Angeles Rams traded quarterback Jared Goff, two first-rounders and a third to the Detroit Lions for Stafford in January 2021. The three-time Pro Bowl QB led the Rams to a Super Bowl title that season and was AP NFL MVP in 2025.
A year in sports: AP photographers’ best images of 2025
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts after winning in a playoff against Justin Rose after the final round at the Masters golf tournament, April 13, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Cincinnati Bengals running back Chase Brown (30) hurdles Chicago Bears defensive back Kevin Byard III (31) on a run during an NFL football game, Nov. 2, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Kareem Elgazzar, File)
Philadelphia Eagles players celebrate with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Eagles won the NFL Super Bowl 59 football game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Feb. 9, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File)
England's Lucy Bronze celebrates after scoring a penalty during a shootout at the end of the Women's Euro 2025 quarterfinal soccer match between Sweden and England at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland, July 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner, File)
St. Louis Cardinals' Victor Scott II, bottom, scores against the San Francisco Giants on Brendan Donovan's double during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sept. 23, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File)
Canada's Erik Read competes in an alpine ski, men's World Cup Giant Slalom, in Hafjell, Norway, March 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti, File)
Pakistan's Sahibzada Farhan looses grip on his bat while playing a shot during the Asia Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, File)
Cameron Crazies student section try to distract Stanford's Oziyah Sellers's as he in-bounds the ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Duke in Durham, N.C., Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown, File)
Golden State Valkyries center Temi Fagbenle (14) loses the ball against Seattle Storm forward Ezi Magbegor (13) and guard Erica Wheeler, right, during the first half of a WNBA basketball game, July 16, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Kazakhstan's Daisy Jepkemei competes in a heat of the women's 3,000 meters steeplechase after losing a shoe at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
A rain droplet falls on a Masters logo cut out during a practice round at the Masters golf tournament, April 7, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts sits in the dugout during a spring training baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Feb. 20, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File)
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt enters the field before an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills, Nov. 30, 2025, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed, File)
FILE - Washington Commanders wide receiver Treylon Burks (13) catches a touchdown pass as Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss, left, defends during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)
Baylor guard Jalen Celestine (32) is fouled by Mississippi State forward RJ Melendez, left, during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, March 21, 2025, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough, File)
Green Bay Packers fan Jeff Kahlow watches before an NFL football game between the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles, Nov. 10, 2025, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer, File)
Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani watches his RBI-Double against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fifth inning in Game 3 of baseball's World Series, Oct. 27, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates winning the men's semifinal singles match against Taylor Fritz of the U.S. at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 11, 2025.(AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)
Dani Baijens, of the Netherlands, center, tries to score during the second round, group D, handball match between The Netherlands and North Macedonia at the Handball Men's World Championship in Varazdin, Croatia, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)
McLaren driver Oscar Piastri of Australia drives during a practice session at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, Nov. 20, 2025 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Teammates shower Cincinnati Reds' Elly De La Cruz with play money in the dugout after his two-run homer during the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, in Cincinnati, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
Andrew Putnam hits on the 16th hole during the final round of the Sony Open golf event, Jan. 12, 2025, at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. (AP Photo/Matt York, File)
Bayern's Leroy Sane challenges for the ball with Leipzig's David Raum, bottom, during the German Bundesliga soccer match between RB Leipzig and FC Bayern Munich at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
A spectator takes a nap next to a court of the French Tennis Open, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, May 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, right, works toward the basket as Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier defends during the second half of a WNBA basketball game , July 22, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr, File)
New Zealand's Jorja Miller gets her hair pulled by Charlotte Escudero of France during the Women's Rugby World Cup bronze match between New Zealand and France at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, London, Sept. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Anthony Upton, File)
A boy shouts as the pack rides up the Montmartre hill during the last stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Mantes-la-Ville and Paris, July 27, 2025 in Paris (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, File)
Driver Henk Lategan and co-driver Brett Cummings compete during the fourth stage of the Dakar Rally between Al Henakiyah and Alula, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, File)
Pavle Peric of Serbia is blocked by Iran players during a round of 16 match at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay city, Philippines, Sept. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)
Qatar's Oumar Doudai Abakar competes in a men's 110 meters hurdles heat at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)
Milwaukee Brewers' Abner Uribe enters the game during the ninth inning of Game 2 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
Coco Gauff of the U.S. serves to Paula Badosa of Spain during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Jan. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, File)
