The Dallas Cowboys continue with their flirtation with Maxx Crosby, and the internet rumors continue to get louder every day. Crosby, a five-time Pro Bowl pass rusher, appears to want out of Las Vegas and the Cowboys are seemingly a likely destination.
It seems like an obvious fit for the Cowboys as they desperately need a pass rusher, and Crosby is easily the best option available. And with Dallas owning two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, it wouldn’t be hard to figure out a potential trade.
But what is the most that Dallas should be willing to offer? Let’s dive in.
The Dallas Cowboys shouldn't trade two first-round picks for Maxx Crosby
There is no doubt that Crosby has been an elite player during his NFL career. He’s always been an elite run defender and has now recorded 22 or more tackles for a loss in three of his last four seasons.
In fact, he had a career-high 28 tackles for a loss in 15 games last year. He's made five-straight Pro Bowls, and you can make an argument that he's been a top-four EDGE rusher in the league in all of those seasons.
The sack numbers have bounced around a bit, but as we know, sacks can be a fickle number from year-to-year. Sacks tend to be a quarterback stat and he hasn't played next to many players who give him more sack opportunities.
But one thing that is clear is that his pass-rushing ability has dropped somewhat over the last three years.
According to Pro Football Reference, Crosby has seen his pressures and QB hits drop in each of the last three seasons. That doesn’t mean he’s not an elite player, but he’s not the same player that he was at 25 or 26. During the 2022 season, arguably his best, he recorded 36 QB hits. That number has dropped in each of the last four seasons, and he was down to 20 QB hits in 2025.
One reason why is because Crosby has played a ton of snaps over the course of his career. Since entering the league, Crosby has averaged 921 snaps per season. And if you remove his rookie season and just look at his 2025 years, that number balloons up to 950 snaps, or 60.6 snaps per game. His body has taken a beating, and now, he is recovering from another knee surgery this offseason.
That’s not to say that the Cowboys shouldn’t trade for him, but this isn’t your typical 29-year old pass rusher. The Raiders put a ton of milage on his body and you are starting to see some wear-and-tear. Now, the hope is that putting him with more talent and limiting his snaps could help him extend his career. But is it worth two first-round picks? That’s up for debate.
Here is the honest truth for the Cowboys: they aren’t one player away on defense. And that’s why it’s hard to justify trading away two first-round picks for Crosby. With no second or third round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, this would be the only player that they would acquire inside the top-100. And while Crosby is a fantastic player, the Cowboys need to improve their depth, especially on the back end.
Dallas already took a big swing with a veteran last year when they acquired Quinnen Williams for a first and second-round pick. Giving up two first-rounders for Crosby would drain all of their assets and cap flexibility. There is no doubt that Crosby would drastically improve their defensive line, but that’s a lot of assets for a player whose best football is likely behind him.
So what is the right price? Giving up pick No. 20, along with another player, seems palatable. That would still give the Cowboys another first-round pick to address their secondary, and you could talk yourself into this being a viable defense with that plan.
But anything more than that seems unwise. Giving up picks No. 12 and No. 20 would likely end up being more valuable than what Dallas receives from Green Bay from the Micah Parsons trade. And while you can’t chase sunk costs, it’s hard to explain that decision to the fanbase.
Expect the Cowboys to continue to be interested in Crosby, but it seems like they would balk at the asking price of two first-round picks. He’s an awesome player, but the Cowboys aren’t one player away from being a Super Bowl contender.