Should The 49ers Give Up A 1st Round Pick Plus More For Maxx Crosby?

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 14: Maxx Crosby #98 of the Las Vegas Raiders runs off the field after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 14, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The San Francisco 49ers’ 2025 offseason was far from flashy. Mac Jones ended up being the most important addition. After an exodus of free agents, names like Luke Gifford, Luke Farrell, and Demarcus Robinson made up the Niners’ free agent class.

The 49ers have never been shy about making a trade. Skyy Moore, Brian Robinson, Keion White, and Bryce Huff were all trade acquisitions last season. According to Fox Sports reporter Jay Glazer, Las Vegas Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby has played his final down in the desert.

National reporters are split on what Crosby’s trade compensation would be. Glazer believes Crosby would fetch as much as, or more than, the Dallas Cowboys did for Micah Parsons, who fetched a pair of first-round picks. On a podcast, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said, “It’s not going to be Micah Parsons compensation because Parsons was younger. But, you know, a late first-round pick would be real.”

If Trey Hendrickson were a popular trade candidate despite being 31 and playing through an injury, then the 28-year-old Crosby would certainly pique the interest of the 49ers front office. Crosby is the better all-around player, better scheme fit, and plays with the type of tenacity any coach would dream of.

As always, it comes down to the price. Crosby is in the tail end of his four-year, $94 million contract he signed in 2022. He’s in the final year of his contract, meaning you would need to extend him after giving up premium draft capital. Crosby’s cap number in 2026 is $35 million, thanks in large part to getting $30 million in guarantees.

Some fans may be reluctant to part ways with a first-round pick, since you’d have four years of a cost-controlled player, but the pushback would be the 49ers’ window being now, and the unlikelihood of the team finding a player anywhere near the caliber of Crosby.

This could be nothing but offseason fodder, as the Raiders might not have any interest in moving off their star player, regardless of his personal feelings. Let’s act like there is a chance. Would you go after Crosby aggressively? Does his turning 29 in August worry you? He’s in the same draft class asNick Bosa, and that duo would undoubtedly propel the 49ers up a couple of tiers defensively. Crosby is the type of player that would take the 49ers from a playoff contender to a Super Bowl favorite.