Silver Minings: Maxx Crosby is pushing Tyree Wilson to reach his full potential

Star is displaying his leadership by holding young player to the new Raiders standard

Last season, the Las Vegas Raiders defense took a step in the right direction. After Antonio Pierce became head coach, the unit took off and finished the season eighth in FTN’s DVOA metric.

Maxx Crosby is the leader on defense and sets the standard with his work ethic and relentless effort on the field. Pierce hopes this rubs off on the other players, especially young Raiders like Tyree Wilson, who had an inconsistent rookie season.

Wilson has the talent to become a star player in the NFL but must find a way to put it together. Crosby knows this and has made it a focus this offseason to push Wilson to his highest potential. While working with Wilson on the NFL Report podcast, he talked about his process.

Crosby’s growth in leadership has created a new Raiders standard that he and Pierce expect teammates to live up to. It displays his passion for winning and his willingness to reach out to players and expect the same standard he brings to the facility daily. Wilson has the demeanor to take what Crosby is advising and push himself to make a leap in year 2. If he does, it could be one of the best defensive lines in football if it isn’t already.

In other Raiders links:

• Jimmy Garoppolo finds a new home: Jimmy Garopoolo is off to Los Angeles to join the Rams and backup Matthew Stafford.
• New TDL Raiders mock draft: The boys at Tape Don’t Lie have their newest mock draft of the off-season.
• Davante Adams makes IG post for Josh Jacobs: Adams makes an IG post about his former teammate Josh Jacobs heading off to Green Bay.
• Pro Day: Pierce was at UCLA’s Pro Day on Friday.