The Las Vegas Raiders revamped their defense this past offseason, adding two new faces to their linebacker group who will lead the unit. Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean signed with the Silver and Black as free agents, reuniting the former Georgia Bulldogs teammates.
Las Vegas hopes Dean and Walker can rediscover the chemistry they had at Georgia to give the Raiders an improved defense in the 2026 NFL season. Ahead of the new campaign, Maxx Crosby spoke about what it means to have this new linebacker tandem behind him.
“They’re dogs, literally Georgia Bulldogs,” Crosby said in an Aug. 19 video from Bussin’ With The Boys. “They’re awesome, bro. They bring the energy every single day. They bring a certain type of confidence that you feel when you’re out there.
“Having two of those guys who have actual experience playing together and are both in the prime of their careers, I haven’t had that my whole career.”
Maxx Crosby on Raiders Having Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker
Furthermore, both players will be able to take the leadership responsibility off Crosby’s shoulders, given that they come from winning organizations in the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles.
As a result, they know what goes into building a winning culture, which the Raiders are looking to build.
“Having two of those guys starting behind me,” Crosby added. “So I think it’s going to be special, and they have that leadership quality. Nakobe, country as f–k. Quay, country as f–k. They’re just different. They’re different cats, and they play a certain way, and you can just tell when they’re out there.”
Last season with the Eagles, Dean put together a 61.9 PFF grade, recording 44 solo tackles, 10 assisted tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble. Meanwhile, Walker registered a 48.5 PFF grade, recording 90 solo tackles, 20 assisted tackles, and three sacks.
It will be interesting to see how Walker and Dean impact the Raiders’ defense, as the team also has a new defensive coordinator in Rob Leonard, who will look to elevate the group into a respectable unit this season.
Nakobe Dean on Having Maxx Crosby as a Teammate
Crosby isn’t the only one handing out flowers to his new teammates ahead of the new campaign. Dean recently spoke to the media on Aug. 4 and shared his thoughts on having Crosby as a teammate, noting that everything he’s heard about the Raiders star is accurate.
“I mean, everything everybody says is true,” Dean said. “He has a crazy motor. He never gets tired. He’s always going. When you first get around him, you might think, ‘Okay, it’s cool to bring the energy now,’ but then you see he brings the same energy, the same kind of swagger, the same intensity and tenacity to the game every day. You can’t do nothing but respect it.”
Last season with the Raiders, Crosby played 935 total snaps on defense, leading to a 79.7 overall PFF defensive grade. The veteran pass rusher generated 53 total pressures, 10 sacks, 31 hurries, 12 QB hits, and a forced fumble. Meanwhile, against the run, he recorded 46 solo tackles.
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