Now here’s a name for old-school Raider Nation: Lance Johnstone.
A second-round selection (57th overall) by the Oakland Raiders back in the 1996 NFL Draft, the Temple product transitioned from collegiate linebacker to a pure pass-rushing defensive end. And the 6-foot-4 and 250-pound Philadelphia native parlayed his role as a situational/rotational quarterback hunter into 72 career sacks over an 11-year career.
Of those, 29 arrived during his first five seasons with the Silver & Black (1996-2000) with 11
and 10 being high marks in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Johnstone went on to sign with the Minnesota Vikings in 2001 and compiled 41 more sacks, with 10 and 11 being the best outputs in 2003 and 2004. Johnstone returned to the Raiders in 2006 and compiled two sacks to end up with his 72.
Why the background on a former pass rusher?
The Johnstone role is an ideal one for the Las Vegas Raiders 2026 third-round pick (67th overall) Keyron Crawford. The 6-foot-4 and 253-pound Auburn product exhibits the same explosion, lightning-quick first step, and speed around the edge that made Johnstone a terrorizing pass rusher — and also the raw moldable prospect traits.
By The Numbers
Keyron Crawford, Edge Rusher, Auburn
- 2025: 12 games, 36 total tackles (28 solo), 5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
- Career: (2024-25 Auburn; 2022-23 Arkansas State) 47 games, 116 total tackles (72 solo), 11.5 sacks, 24 tackles for loss, 1 interception, 2 pass deflections, 3 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries,
Still developing both instincts and technique — having started playing football his senior year of high school — the explosive athleticism Crawford brings to the table as a stand-up rush linebacker was apparent at both his Arkansas State and Auburn days in college. And that’s the ability the Raiders would be wise to take advantage of in his rookie year.
Much like homegrown Maxx Crosby, Crawford arrives to the Raiders physically and technically raw. But like his much more accomplished pass rush-mate, the natural athletic traits and sheer will are enough to put Crawford in obvious passing downs/situation pass rush situations and allow him to hunt the quarterback down.
As Raiders defensive line coach Travis Smith noted above, taking full advantage of the explosiveness Crawford brings at the snap will make opposing offenses pay attention to and block the edge rusher. And it’s that similar burst and relentlessness that Crosby showcases that’ll help add more teeth to Las Vegas pass rush. In fact, that tenacity is a common trait shared amongst the Raiders edge rushers as Crosby, Crawford, Malcolm Koonce and Kwity Paye are of similar ilk.
Consistency will be key for Crawford as he embarks on his NFL journey and the 22-year-old is plenty young and can grow with this Raiders defensive coaching staff that includes Smith and defensive coordinator (and former defensive line boss) Rob Leonard. With those two coaching the group alongside having excellent lead-by-example types in front of him in Crosby, Koonce, and Paye, to name a few, Crawford is in a good situation develop and grow.
And the rookie knows it.
“I would say, it’s mainly just getting a routine, figuring out what works best for me, what time I should wake up, what time I need to be in the building. Also, just becoming disciplined with that is like the main point,” Crawford said after a rookie minicamp session in early May. “And just being able to be consistent with that is the main focus. So, just being able to have my routine and be consistent with that and discipline, I feel like I’d be in the best shape as possible.”
Our Matt Holder did a comprehensive deep dive into what Crawford brings to the table for the Raiders — I highly recommend you give it a read if haven’t already. There’s a portion where Holder provides the charting Crawford garnered from Pro Football Focus (PFF) which puts a spotlight on a situational rush being apt for the rookie.
“According to Pro Football Focus, the Auburn product ranked seventh among SEC edges with 43 pressures and was fifth with an 18.3 percent pass-rush win rate, which includes five sacks and an impressive 12 quarterback hits. Crawford is still learning how to use and be more consistent with his hand for that production to translate to the next level, but the tape highlights how his athletic ability makes him a high-upside prospect,” Holder wrote.
As Holder noted, the Raiders do have depth at edge rusher. Crosby never comes off the field and Paye provides the strong power-based anchor as a strong side option. Koonce meanwhile is technical rusher who has the burst around the edge. And then there’s rookies Crawford, Cian Slone (undrafted), and Jahfari Harvey who heads into his second season in the NFL.
Expect Crosby, Paye, and Koonce to get snaps while Leonard and Smith can deploy Crawford in a hyper-focused passing downs hunter role where he screams off the edge trying to get after the quarterback. This will allow his strengths to be magnified while getting valuable in-game live snaps that are hard to duplicate by sitting and watching from the bench.
Eventually, the Raiders would like Crawford to develop into an every down-type player who can not only rush, but set the edge and snuff out the run, too. But that’ll develop over the course of time and if the team and player dedicate themselves to that — much like Crosby did — good things are on the horizon.
“It’s really more so just being able to be consistent with my hands as well, just playing the run, and being violent through the run. So, it’s just being able to correct those corners. But also, understand the game 10 times more, because everything is still new to me,” Crawford said on what the emphasis is as he proceeds though his NFL career. “But also understand the formations, understanding what you can get in different formations. And knowing what’s to come just to be able to have a heads up over. It’s really just like football intelligence. So, just being able to increase that, it allows me to play 10 times faster.”
Crawford carving out a similar career trajectory as Johnstone would be a boon for this rendition of the Raiders. After racking up 4.5 sacks in his first two seasons in the league, Johnstone come into his own from 1998 onward as his sack line exploded to 11 and 10.
And who knows, perhaps what former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden said once about coaching Johnstone may be said about Crawford: “I think Lance Johnstone just overran three or four sacks in some games because he was so quick out of his stance.”
