Raiders’ new defensive end Kwity Paye couldn’t be more excited to do what he couldn’t do in Indianapolis
The Raiders are excited to have Kwity Paye.
Maxx Crosby is one of the NFL’s best. That’s why Vegas welcomed him back after the trade with the Baltimore Ravens fell through. Now, the Las Vegas Raiders’ edge group is stronger than it’s been in years.
It’s been a while since Crosby has had as good an amount of players across from him at the other DE spot as he will in 2026. With Koonce coming back and the addition of Kwity Paye, the Raiders are set to be much improved there. And, we could see guys like Paye play even better than he did last season with the Indianapolis Colts, because he’s getting to play off an elite player on the edge who demands all of the offensive line’s attention. Paye has never had that before.
“It’s going to be crazy, man,” Paye told reporters when asked how he felt about playing with Maxx Crosby. Just seeing him pursue, his relentless pursuit throughout the down, just being able to play with him and get after it. I play with Jonah [Laulu] in Indy for a little bit, and just playing with him, just playing with some ballers. It’ll be great.”
Paye has played with a superstar defensive tackle, but never a superstar defensive end
Paye hasn’t been in the NFL for very long, but he has played with talented teammates like defensive tackle DeForest Buckner. While Buckner was once among the league’s top defensive tackles, he hasn’t reached that level during Paye’s tenure. Last season, Paye played alongside edge rusher Laiatu Latu, who finished with 8.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. While Latu is a strong performer, he doesn’t match Maxx Crosby’s impact.
It seems like, around the league, people think Crosby had a very down year last season. Sure, he did, but he was still elite. Even as he played through significant injuries, Crosby finished with 10 sacks and 28 tackles for loss. No one plays as hard or as smart as he does at the position. The only comparable player is Myles Garrett, the Cleveland Browns’ Defensive Player of the Year.
Comparing these two standouts further highlights Crosby’s impact. Even though Garrett played two more games and had a very strong season, he totaled only five more tackles for loss than Crosby. Moreover, Crosby finished with 13 more total tackles. According to Sports Info Solutions, no player saved more points on run defense in 2025 than Crosby, who led the league with 34.64 Points Saved and 0.087 per play.
Paye will get to play with Crosby, one of the very best against the run. That alone could unlock a version of Paye the league hasn’t seen. I’m not saying to expect him to be elite just yet, but he’s clearly happy with this new opportunity. Who knows what we could see in 2026?